The 66th Seal
by Kentcharm
Summary: Alice, a self conscious 18 year-old girl fresh out of high school feels stuck in her boring, uneventful life. But all of that is about to change when two brothers enter her life unexpectedly...OFC/Dean/Sam Love Triangle
1. Chapter 1

The 66th Seal  
by Kentcharm

Summary: Alice, a self conscience 18 year-old girl fresh out of high school feels stuck in her boring, uneventful life. But all of that is about to change when two brothers enter her life unexpectedly, forced to protect her from Lilith and her demon lackeys. Follow Alice though her experiences in the Supernatural world...

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Chapter One

The annoying clanging of bells notified us of customers. The familiarity of it took a toll on me, and not in a good way. Being a waitress wasn't my cup of tea; I only did it to pay for my school tuition. The Red-Rose Diner wasn't a rose at all; it was more like the thorns on the stem. Unfortunately I had to crawl up that stem to get to the actual rose, my one way ticket out of this town.  
"Alice!" A small voice whispered harshly behind me.  
I spun around. It was Hayley, my best friend and co-worker. Hayley always had the knack of sneaking up on people.  
"Yeah?" I asked, a little bit breathless. It was sweltering hot, and I could feel the perspiration begin at the back of my neck.  
"Look at the hunk that just walked in..." She said, nodding her head towards the entrance. Discreetly, I peered over at the man in question.  
It was like one of those movies, where everything goes in slow motion. Every step he took, every strand of hair, everything was combined in this one moment of bliss. I could almost see myself drooling. I unconsciously straightened my posture as he walked by us.  
"Alice, I'm taking this one." Hayley smirked, and slithered towards the man as he sat down at the counter. I examined him as she took his order, trying to ignore Hayley's flirting tactics. He was young, in his twenties, and his brown hair was just long enough to clearly imagine running your hands through it. He also appeared to be a gentleman, seeing as he hadn't once glanced at the cleavage that was inevitably being shoved in front of him.  
I started to rearrange some forks on a booth table, but once again found myself looking at the stranger. Once Hayley had poured him a cup of coffee and reluctantly walked away, I took the chance to get closer to him. I walked up next to him to swipe off the counter (that was already clean, but I wouldn't admit it). He looked sideways at me and smiled. He had green eyes. My knees started to feel weak, so I quickly smiled back and hurried behind the counter, afraid I might fall. I continued to steal glances at him while he ate his cheeseburger. He was an all-American guy, by the looks of it. Hayley woke me of my daydream.  
"Don't bother, he's gay. I put all my moves on him and he didn't fall for one. Plus he's too quiet... and he looks kind of sketchy looking around all of the time."  
I hadn't noticed this, but she was right. He was looking around at all of the people in the diner, studying them.  
"He's not gay, Hayley." I said, yet suddenly uncertain. Hayley did have a nice rack...  
"Maybe he's on a blind date?" Hayley exclaimed, thinking she had solved the mystery. I laughed.  
"If I had a red rose I'd give it to you Hayley, then at least _someone_ would be getting lucky around here."  
She laughed, a little too loudly. The mystery man looked at Hayley and I. It was pretty apparent that we had been talking about him. We both quickly turned and scurried away, but not before I caught his smile again. Blushing furiously, I refilled a regular's cup of coffee. _Nice one, Alice. Real great.  
_When I looked up again, he was leaving. My heartbeat died off, now just a dull ache in my stomach. I tried to hide my disappointment as the ringing of the bells signified his departure. _  
_ I stood in front of the spot where he had been, and imagined that he was still there. I imagined my-self less inhibited and more spontaneous. I would have struck up interesting conversation, and laughed at his jokes. I sighed, looking at my reflection on the shiny countertop. I wasn't ugly, but I definitely wasn't the blonde bombshell type (I was unfortunate enough to have inherited my mother's barely an A-cup genes). My heavily layered hair was dyed blonde with orange and red streaks, the result of teenage adolescence and boredom. My hazel eyes, large and round, are my best feature, (that and my lips, which are full and a light pink and melt with my skin) My hands, small and delicate, aren't fond of hard labour. I often try to avoid washing the dishes at work when I can, usually bribing Hayley to do them for me. Hayley and I have been friends ever since high school. She was there for me when my parents died, and her family even let me live with them. We're practically sisters. We do each other's hair, listen to the same music, and ogle over the same guys. In grade 12 we decided to take this job together until university started in the fall. Hayley said it would be "the last great experience of our youth." I had laughed at the time, but wasn't now.  
For the rest of the day I thought of the man that had come in. Tall, dark and mysterious; he was the poster child for heartache. I hadn't even noticed that everyone had gone until Hayley patted me on the shoulder.  
"Want me to close up?" Hayley asked. I sighed and rubbed my wrist. It was throbbing, my blood felt abnormally hot. I felt a shiver run up my spine, and began to feel anxious.  
"What's wrong?" Hayley asked, concerned.  
"Nothing, it's just the heat." I assured her. "You go ahead, I'll close up. You have a date tonight with Ronald right?" I asked, vaguely remembering her talking about it earlier that morning.  
"Roger." Hayley corrected. "And you can hardly call it a date. I'm doing it out of sympathy. He's been asking me all year...." she trailed off, rolling her eyes at unpleasant memories. I remembered Roger Martin as the exact replica of 'Dilton Doiley', (glasses and all). He was in almost all of Hayley's classes in her senior year, and in more than one cases she had seduced him in order to copy his Chem. labs. I smiled faintly, remembering the times I had told her to be careful not to let him fall for her (which he inevitably had). The two were total opposites, and I was sure Roger would agree that the rules of chemistry state that opposites attract, (even though I'm sure Hayley would say opposite).  
"Oh come on, Hay, Roger's a nice guy."  
Hayley pretended to shudder. "Yeah, because you know I just _love _guys who like to dress up as Darth Vader on the weekends."  
"I'm sure it's not as bad as you dressing up as a play-boy rat." I said, giggling as I reflected on the previous Halloween. Hayley had intended to be the widely acclaimed Hefner bunny, but couldn't find a bunny tail. At the last minute her mom had forced her to wear a mouse tail from her little brother's old Mickey Mouse costume.  
"See? Now you're a cat!" she had exclaimed, leaving a miserable Hayley on the verge of suicide, (or maybe matricide, possibly even both!).  
Hayley huffed and puffed, reminiscent of the big bad wolf. Her over dramatic whine didn't fully conceal her laughter. "Alice you promised not to bring that...that..._disaster_ up again!"  
I laughed. "Fine, in the name of the Go-go's, my lips are sealed! Now go now, I'll close up quick."  
Hayley smiled, got her things, and left. I washed a few more tables, closed the blinds and turned the lights off. I decided to change my clothes in the staff bathroom, eager to get my uniform off. I put on an old pair of jeans and a black Sex Pistols shirt from my backpack. I always kept spare clothes with me in case I clumsily spilled grease on myself, (which actually happened a lot). Within minutes I was out the door.  
It was dark out, which usually didn't bother me, but right now I felt like I was being watched. The familiar sting on the base of my neck signified this, and it crawled like an eight legged spider up to the top of my skull. I unconsciously brought my hands to my hair, roughly tearing at it in attempt to shed the overwhelming encasement of paranoia. The streets were unusually dead, and all I could hear was the distant sound of cars on the freeway. The streetlights jutted down to the pavement, casting long shadows in my path that resembled the bars of a cage. I walked down the street with long strides, trying to ignore the fear growing deep inside of me. It spread like the long, intricate branches of an oak tree. My only comfort was the steady sound of my shoes on the cold concrete, the echo bouncing elegantly off of the surrounding buildings and back to my ears.  
_Click-click, Click-click, Click-click_  
I tried to play games in my head, to keep my mind off of the invisible spider that wove itself in my hair. First it was 'Don't step on a crack', and I hummed the song to myself.  
_"Step on a crack, break your mother's back...."  
Click-click, Click-click, Click-click, Ca-thunk  
_My heart stuttered at the sudden noise that interrupted my humming. I slowed, straining to hear it again. Once again, only my own footsteps could be heard. Regardless, I sped up.  
_"Step on a nail, put your father in jail..."_  
_Click-click, Click-click, Click-click, Ca-thunk, Ca-thunk_  
I felt a lump in my throat, and tried to swallow but my throat was dry. Recovering myself, I dismissed the sound and continued down the sidewalk, not hesitating to step on the crevices any longer. I briefly thought to myself that to others I probably looked like a lunatic running in the dark like this. I continued my charade...  
_"Step in a hole, break your mothers sugar bowl..."  
Click-click, Ca-thunk, Click-click, Ca-thunk_  
There was no denying it now, someone was behind me. I stopped mid-step, and the second pair of footsteps stopped too. I felt like my blood was boiling; ready to burst out of my body. I slowly turned, scared of what I might see. In one climatic moment, I braced myself for the worst; but nothing was there. I breathed out loudly, unaware that I had been holding my breath. Hayley was going to laugh her ass off when I told her this. I started to turn back around, when out of nowhere I heard someone scream, "GET DOWN!"  
I dropped to my knees. Loud piercing sounds tore at my ears. Noises like thunder erupted all around me. I covered my head as glass started to fall from the sky. All of a sudden I felt myself pushed flat on the concrete. It was like a large bolder was placed on my back, I could barely breathe. The glass stopped raining down, but the bangs ensued. When I opened my eyes, I saw a blonde man with a gun in one hand and a knife in the other. He was moving towards another figure, but I couldn't make it out; Someone's arm was blocking my view. In one quick moment I realized that the bolder was actually a person, and that that person was shielding me from the glass and gunfire. I tried to concentrate on my breathing, but I felt like I was on fire. I began to feel dizzy, and I was losing conscience. I tried desperately to hold on, but struggled. The chaos around me quieted, and I felt myself being lifted up and carried. I could make out voices around me.  
"I told you they'd try to get her tonight."  
"Are you sure it's her?"  
"_They_ seemed sure."  
"Yeah, I guess you're right."  
I could feel my right arm dangling, and tried to lift it. I brought it up until it touched the man's chest. Gripping his jacket, I opened my eyes. My vision was blurry, and I squinted in attempt to focus it.  
_"Eat your carrots!"_ my mother's voice droned.  
Green eyes. It was the guy from the diner. My heart stopped.  
"You!" I sputtered. He smiled. Before I could say anymore I was placed in a car. It was an old black four door Impala. He shut the door behind me, and my two saviours got in the front. The blonde guy was driving. He looked tough, and was a bit intimidating. The other one (Don Juan) turned to me.  
"Alice, right? Well my name is Sam Winchester, and this is my brother, Dean." He said. The other grunted his hello.  
"I..." I started, "What happened back there?"  
Sam looked at his brother, Dean nodded.  
"Well, do you believe...in the Supernatural?"


	2. Chapter 2

The 66th Seal  
by Kentcharm

A/N: So I have been writing this story for 4 months now! I'm on chapter seven now, and the chapters tend to get longer. Sorry for the last chapters terrible format... I fixed this one, hope it's easier to read? My apologies again, hope you like this chapter!

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Chapter Two

As Dean drove, Sam told me everything. He explained to me about the Angels, Demons, Lilith, and the 66 seals.  
"So, why was I attacked?" I asked, hugging myself in the back seat. My blood wasn't burning anymore, and I actually began to feel cold. Sam noticed this, and took off his jacket. He handed it to me. I smiled in thanks.  
"Well, we think that you are the key to the 66th seal." He said.  
"What?!" I said, "Key? What do you mean _I'm_ the key?"  
"Well, the 66th seal involves opening a door that restrains Lucifer. To open this door, they need to spill 'the youngest female blood of the Prosapia of electus' on the lock. Then, Lucifer will walk free."  
"Prosapia of electus?" I asked. He nodded his head.  
"It's latin for 'family of the chosen'." I nodded, pretending to understand everything he was telling me_. Family of the chosen_, honestly, that sounded ridiculous.  
"Are you an only child?" he asked. I nodded.  
"Your parents?"  
"Dead." I responded.  
"Any other family?"  
I shook my head again. I thought of Hayley and her family. I prayed she made it home alright.  
"Well, we're assuming that it runs in your family. It's supposed to be passed on to the women. And if you're the only one left, then you are the only one that can open the door."  
"Oh." I said. This was so surreal. "Well, how many seals have been broken so far?"  
" Thirty-four. We guess they wanted to get you before we did." He looked guilty for something. I felt the sudden urge to comfort him.  
"How did you know it was me?" I asked.  
"A friend told us." Sam looked at Dean again, and Dean seemed to disapprove. I wondered who this friend was.  
"So, what are we going to do?" I asked, feeling like I was walking on eggshells.  
Sam sighed. "Well," he started, "we're not sure. They'll be after you, and the closer they get to the 66th seal, the more desperate they'll be. So we have to keep you safe, which, right now is only with us." He finished.  
"So, I can stay with you?" I asked, a little bit too happily. Sam nodded.  
"For now."  
"For how long?"  
"Until Lilith's dead, probably." He said, and I was alarmed at how hard and empty his voice was. It almost scared me.  
I could see Dean in the review mirror, he kept his eyes on the road. He didn't look too happy either. I decided I would have to try extra hard to get on his good side. The car remained quiet for the rest of the way; everyone was lost in their own thoughts. We were going to the motel Sam and Dean had been staying at. When we pulled up to it, I had a flashback of Psycho and Norman Bates. I laughed, which received puzzled glances from Sam and Dean. I hugged Sam's coat that rested around my shoulders. It smelled like a man, which I liked.  
The motel room didn't look any better on the inside than it did on the outside. There were two beds, a table with two chairs, and one bathroom. There was a laptop and a duffel bag on the farthest bed, and the sheets weren't made. I sat myself on the bed closest to the door, placing Sam's jacket next to me. This bed was neatly made, which made me wonder if it had been slept in. I silently watched the two boys. Sam was sitting at the small table, the laptop in front of him. Dean didn't look any better than he had in the car, and I assumed that it had something to do with me. His eyes were also green, but I could sense a fire in them that I could not in Sam's.  
"I'm going to go out to get something to eat. Want anything?" He asked, Sam more than me. I thought of diner food. I shook my head, no.  
"We're fine." Sam said, and with that, Dean was out the door. I looked at Sam, and he was looking at me.  
"He doesn't like me, does he?" I asked, resting my head in my hands.  
"Dean? Nah, he just isn't used to having anyone with us, especially a girl."  
"Oh." I said. I lay back on the bed, my head resting on the pillow. I closed my eyes and breathed it in. It smelled like Sam's jacket, so I gathered that it was his. I decided that Sam and Dean were complete opposites. Judging from the messy bed and this one, Sam must be the neater, more sensible one. Even with this knowledge, I still felt there was something else about Sam; a darkness. I had the feeling that they hadn't told me everything in the car. I still had trouble believing everything that they had told me, and was struggling to cope with what was happening around me. I kept expecting to wake up to the shrill sound of my alarm. I felt a cool breeze envelope my body, so I opened my eyes. Sam was gone. I sat up.  
Before I could get worried, he was back. He casually dropped my backpack in front of me. I was grateful; I thought I had lost it in all of the chaos earlier. I hastily searched its contents. I had two shirts, a pair of my high school gym shorts, my iTouch, wallet, and brush. I looked up at Sam. He seemed to understand my dilemma.  
"It's not safe to take you home right now; Lilith's followers will be watching to see if you go there. Tomorrow I'll take you to the drug store, or anywhere else you need to go."  
I smiled. He was just too sweet. I blushed into my hands.  
"Thank you, Sam."

I took out my gym shorts and went to the bathroom. There were towels, so I decided to have a shower. I was a little nervous undressing, especially with a guy in the next room. I managed to find the complementary motel shampoo and soap, (I was actually a little surprised, maybe this place wasn't as bad as I thought). I hesitantly turned on the water, relieved to find it hot. It felt wonderful on my tense muscles. I spent a good ten minutes just letting it run over my body, then another five washing my hair. I got anxious as I heard the front door open, Dean must have gotten back. I quickly got out of the shower, hastily drying my hair and body. I put on the shorts I had and one of my spare tops, and creped out of the bathroom. Sam was still sitting at the table, while Dean was shuffling through his duffel bag. They both looked up as I shut the bathroom door, staring a little too long for my comfort. I looked down at myself, realizing that the shorts I wore were actually Hayley's, who was ten times smaller than me. I cursed my decision to ever share clothes with her. "_Damn that Hayley and her invisible ass_" I thought as I attempted to walk (with confidence) over to my backpack. I removed my iTouch and practically jumped into Sam's bed. I was sure I heard Dean laugh. I pulled the covers over myself, trying to act nonchalant, and pretended to play games until I was sure they had stopped staring. I took the opportunity to observe them. The room seemed a little bit lighter; Dean and Sam weren't as stiff. I realized that Dean had a gun in his hands, and I immediately recognized it from earlier. His back was to me, but I could see that he was cleaning it. I tried to get a better look, so I leaned a bit over the bed. The bed creaked, and Dean turned his head to look at me. It was the first time his eyes actually met mine, and I felt myself at a loss for words. The fire in his eyes was less furious as before, and it literally made me melt.  
"I...uh...I've never seen a gun before." I managed to get out. Dean looked to Sam. They both started to laugh.  
I was getting rather annoyed with continuously being the butt of the joke. These boys must have thought I was a complete and utter geek.  
"Well, aren't you going to show it to me?" I asked, suddenly feeling a wave of confidence rush over me. Dean seemed surprised, he eyebrows formed into cute little arcs. I was ready for him to tell me something like "_Girl's shouldn't play with guns_.", but instead he sat down next to me.  
"Well," He started, showing me the gun, "this is a revolver. " He flicked his wrist, and the gun opened up, revealing 6 chambers all occupied with its own bullet. His deep, velvety voice took me off guard, and it ultimately reminded me of a father teaching his son how to throw a football. I decided to go with it, nodding in agreement at whatever he said.  
"This is the cylinder, which can hold 6 bullets." He pointed at a spot under the barrel. "This is the ejector rod, it's used to get rid of the fired cartridges before reloading. " He then clicked something on the upper back of the gun. He took my hands and placed the revolver in them. I was taken back.  
"I..." I started, but Dean interrupted me.  
"Don't worry, safety's on. Revolvers are easy to master, so it's perfect for you." This made me smile, I was beginning to fill with excitement as I felt the gun between my hands. I noticed that his hands were still on mine, holding the gun in place. He looked at them and laughed.  
"You're hands are really small...I don't even know ifyou'll be able to hold it." He turned to Sam, "Fairy hands." He said, and they both snickered.  
Previous excitement was lost and replaced with anger. Would these guys ever stop making fun of me? I was perfectly capable of holding a gun.  
I pulled my hands out of his grasp and immediately felt the weight of the revolver. I never expected it to be heavy at all, and curiously began to examine it. The smooth handle and barrel felt sinful against my fingertips, and I immediately envisioned myself as one of 007's sexy lady friends (perhaps Pussy Galore or Octopussy).  
"_Do you want to play it easy – or the hard way_?" I thought to myself, and stifled a giggle.  
"But..why do I need a gun?" I asked, in attempt to divert the attention from myself.  
"Well, you're going to need it if every demon in hell is going to be after you. "He said with humour in his voice, (At my expense, of course).  
"Will a gun kill a demon?" I asked. Dean shook his head.  
"It'll slow it down." He said, then reached into his duffel bag and brought out a knife. I recognized this weapon also.  
"This is the only weapon we have that can kill one." He said.  
"That's all?" I asked, surprised. Dean looked over at Sam, who seemed to be ignoring our conversation. He turned back to me and nodded.  
"_One knife against an army of demons_" I thought_._ I felt scared, and my face showed it. Dean suddenly looked worried, his eyebrows raised in concern.  
"Sam and I will be protecting you. You probably won't even need to use that gun." He said.  
I looked at Sam, he smiled in assurance. I felt myself ease up a bit; Sam had that affect on me. I grinned.  
"So, you guys have a lot of guns?" I asked. Dean smirked. Sam laughed.

***

I woke up in a daze. Someone was walking around. Paralyzed in fright, I feared that it was a demon or some other horrible supernatural being. I envisioned the dark figures that had attacked me earlier, and held my breath as I heard the front door open and then close. The person was gone. I propped myself up on my elbows to get a better look through the window beside me, but the curtains were partly shut. Through the translucent fabric I could a tall figure, and I immediately recognized the jacket. It was Sam.  
"Don't worry. He always sneaks out when he thinks everyone's asleep." A groggy voice said. I looked over at the bed next to me. Dean was lying motionless on the bed and appeared to be sleeping; his eyes were shut.  
"Oh?" I asked. Dean nodded, he was awake.  
"Where does he... sneak off to?" I asked, afraid that it might be a taboo subject. Dean gave a throaty sigh.  
"Probably to see his demon girlfriend, Ruby."  
"Girlfriend?" I asked. I realized after I said it that it was probably weird that I'd be curious about the girlfriend aspect and not the demon one. I quickly corrected myself, afraid that Dean might get the wrong idea. "_Demon_ girlfriend?"  
"Well, I don't think they're necessarily dating. Though I'm sure it's crossed _Ruby'_s mind." Another sigh escaped him, and I guessed that he was reflecting on past memories. He brought his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes. The moonlight peeked through the curtains, softly and perfectly grazing his bare chest. I found my gaze lingering on his naked forearms, and thought to myself that this man wasn't really that scary.  
Dean continued speaking.  
"I don't approve of any demon, and I'll be damned if my brother dates one. They all did the same evil deeds to gain their status."  
I remembered Sam mentioning that Dean had been in Hell, and shuddered at the thought. I wondered what it was like for him, and briefly thought that he spoke these words from experience. Thank god Castiel had saved him.  
"So...what do they meet for?" I asked with genuine interest.  
Dean opened his eyes. The fire was back, more furious than ever. My breath caught in my throat as his eyes burned into mine.  
"He gets the inside goods from her. Information on the seals, that sort of thing. She warned us about you. It was actually her idea to have us get you." Dean shut his eyes again, and turned around so his back was facing me. Our talk was over.

I lay back down, thinking about what Dean had said. It sounded like Ruby had feelings for Sam. I couldn't blame her, Sam was pretty amazing. I did wonder why a demon would be friends with Sam in the first place. I came to the conclusion that the boys were indeed keeping something away from me, and vowed that I would find whatever it was out. I continued to think of Sam until I felt myself getting drowsy, falling down an endless tunnel. My body slowly dissolved as if weightless, rising to the ceiling. I soon succumbed to the sleep, feeling the bliss as the darkness envelope me.


	3. Chapter 3

The 66th Seal  
by Kentcharm

A/N: Thank you for the reviews! It was very nice of you. I'd like to remain consistent by uploading a new chapter everyday! Hope I can maintain it! I still love to hear what you guys think, and I like to get your imput, so don't stop reviewing! (gives me the fuel to keep writing, and I always check my email to see if I got any-haha)

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Chapter 3

When I woke, Dean was sitting at the table playing cards by himself. The clock behind him read 7AM. I gave a silent groan; I hadn't gotten up this early in ages. I didn't have work today, so I was happy that I wouldn't have to phone in sick. I thought of Hayley. I knew she was probably wondering where I was. I wanted to call her, but I was afraid it would be too dangerous. I'd be in big shit when I saw her again.  
"_Unless I don't make it out of this alive_." I thought. I pushed the idea aside, it was probably best not to start the day on the wrong note. Dean looked up as I sat up. He smiled and my stomach filled with a sudden warmness.  
"Want to play cards?" He said, whispering. I looked over at Dean's bed. Sam's large frame was stretched out across it. "_Late night_" I guessed. I felt a pang of jealousy as I thought of him and this Ruby character together all night. I knew I couldn't justify myself, I had only known Sam since yesterday.  
I went over to the table, not caring about my short shorts. I sat down and sighed.  
"I don't really know how to play any games...." I said with embarrassment. Dean shuffled the cards, his hands moved quickly. I gathered that being a gambler was probably one of the traits that contrasted with Sam. Dean was a devil and Sam was an angel, I couldn't decide which one was more appealing.  
"Well, what games _do_ you know?" He asked with extra emphasis on the "do". I knew that what I was about to say would make me out to be even more of an odd-bong.  
"Um...Go Fish?"

***

Dean and I played several games of Go Fish, and I won them all. At around 8AM we decided to play Slap Jack, (The only other game I knew how to play). As time wore on we decided to get louder and louder in attempt to wake Sam. Dean, who had a bruised ego over the previous "kid game", decided to play a little more aggressively. We were both leaning forward, our weight on the small table. I was afraid the feeble legs would give out, but each of us was set on winning so I ignored it. Every time a Jack showed up, I could barely get my hand on the table before Dean slapped it like a madman. Dean got so into it that I just couldn't stop myself from laughing. I saw that I had a Jack coming up, (a little cheating didn't hurt anyone), and was intent on getting it. As soon as I placed it down my hand was on top of it, but unfortunately Dean's was too. He unintentionally slapped my hand, and pretty hard too. I fell onto the ground, rolling around laughing and crying at the same time.  
Sam jumped up, his hair sticking up. I laughed harder. Dean looked down at me, a funny look on his face. I could tell he didn't know whether to laugh or be worried.  
"What did you do to her Dean?" Sam asked accusingly. I giggled, even though my hand really did hurt.  
"Dean...hit...me! He's so _MEAN_!" I managed to say between giggles.  
Sam glared at Dean, and Dean tried to look as innocent as possible. I could almost see the halo over his head. Sam groaned and fell back onto the bed.

***

Sam and Dean took me out to breakfast. Diner food was actually a lot better when someone else was serving you. I reluctantly watched as Dean ogled over the chesty waitress, sweet talking her the whole time. I huffed, and Sam agreed with me. We shared a laugh, and I felt the butterflies flutter around in my stomach again.  
As promised, Sam made sure Dean was to stop somewhere so I could buy myself a few necessities. We passed a strip mall and I begged Dean to let me buy some clothing. The only way I got him to agree was to play the wounded animal routine and shove my bruised hand in his face. He told me to be quick, they had packed all their stuff back into the Impala and he insisted they hurry and get on the road. They hadn't told me yet where we were going.  
I rushed into the Drug-Mart first. I hastily took anything I thought I might need, using my debit card for everything. I had a lot of money saved up in my account, so I wasn't cautious in my spending. I knew that it was for my university tuition, but right now, my future wasn't certain. I decided that for now I would have to live for the present and not for the future.  
After I paid for my things I stuffed them into my backpack, happy to see that there was still going to be enough room for the clothes, (silently thanking whoever invented the Alpine Rucksack). I was in and out of the Drug-Mart in minutes, and made sure I was always in view of Sam. He told me that to be safe I should keep within sight. As I made my way to the small clothing store I looked over at the black Impala. Dean was resting against the driver's side door, checking out the city girls in their short summer dresses. Sam was sitting against the hood, his arms folded and his eyes on me. I tried to walk in a straight line, hips swaying, (like the models do), but failed miserably. There was no way in the world that Sam would look at me like Dean looked at a woman. I longed to be sexy, but always came off awkward. I found it easier to just be myself, but wasn't sure if that was enough. I surfed through the clothes absently, my mind stuck on Sam. I managed to pick out a pair of jean shorts (not as daring as Hayley's gym shorts had been), a pair of Capri's and a half dozen shirts. Instead of having them bag it I folded them up and placed them neatly in my pack. As I rushed out of the store and towards the Winchester brothers, I hoped I hadn't taken too long. I stood in front of Sam, hiking my backpack up to gesture that I had gotten all I needed. He smiled, and Dean turned to me, breaking his "eligible bachelor" pose.  
"Wow, Ally. That was the fastest I've ever seen a woman shop." he said, unfolding his arms and placing his hand on the top of his car. He grinned, squinting his eyes against the sun. I smiled, taking it as a compliment. My heart skipped a beat when he addressed me as a "woman", and even more when he called me "Ally" instead of Alice. It made me happy, and I felt closer to him. His short blond hair reflected the sun's rays, contrasting with his tanned skin, (to put it plainly, he looked like a Greek god). I noticed that the girls Dean had been checking out earlier were staring at me from across the lot. I knew what they were thinking. _How could she be with those guys?_ Sam's eyes never left me; he seemed to be analyzing me, which made me a bit uncomfortable. I shifted my weight to my right foot, kicking the ground absent-mindly with my left.  
"Efficient as well." Sam joked, referring to my backpack. My face felt hot as Sam continued to stare.  
"So, you guys haven't told me yet where we're going?" I asked, trying to get the attention off of me. I decided that these boys weren't used to being around women (minus strippers, waitresses, and the occasional booty call). Ruby came to mind.  
Dean and Sam became more serious, going into business mode.  
"Well we received some information on a seal, seems the demons are trying to break one tonight. It's too dangerous for you so we'll have to keep you behind." Dean said, opening the driver's side door. Sam still stood in front of me, his hands in his pockets.  
"What?" I asked, shocked. "Come on, I want to be with you guys!" I looked at Sam, sensing he was the weaker link when it came to the opposite sex. I plead with my eyes. I didn't want to be left alone, I knew that without the Winchester brothers I'd be in a demon pit somewhere being tortured, awaiting my own, bloody execution. Dean glared at Sam, sensing that he was about to cave. Hayley always said that I had the most convincing puppy dog eyes.  
"Sorry Alice, but it's for the best." Sam said, finality in his voiced. I huffed, and stamped past him. I really wanted to be with them, see them in action. If possible, I even wanted to join in with them and fight. I had taken kickboxing when I was nine, before my parents died, and was confident that I could take care of myself. And plus, with the gun Dean had given me, I sort of wanted to try it out.  
I sat in my usual spot in the backseat, throwing my backpack beside me. Sam and Dean got in after me. I crossed my arms and looked out the window, deciding to showcase my complete opposition to their decision. We drove for a few hours, no one spoke. The only thing that broke the silence was the sound of the radio. I didn't mind it because the music the station played was nice; I'd always been a fan of Classic Rock. I tapped my foot to the music, observing the two boys in front of me. I noticed that Dean usually drove with one hand on the steering wheel, and he always tapped his fingers to the music. He also always drove with a tough look on his face, his eyes rarely leaving the road. I had to restrain myself from laughing at his cute demeanor. I also noticed that Sam always looked out the window, staring off into nothingness. He seemed to be lost in his own world, and I felt myself crave to be in it. I wanted to understand him more, learn more about him. I thought of what he might be hiding from me. I knew Dean knew it, but I was sure he wouldn't tell me. I wondered if it had something to do with the Supernatural.  
"_Maybe he's half alien?"_ I wondered. I couldn't stop myself from giggling at the thought of Sam with two antenna's jutting out of his head. Sam and Dean looked back at me.  
"God, she's a weird one." Dean said, turning his gaze back onto the road.  
I laughed, and noticed Sam smile. It only lasted a split second before he turned back to the front, but it was imprinted in my mind. It felt different than his other smiles. It felt more real, more natural. I felt like I had witnessed something really special.

***

We pulled into a dirt drive way at around 5PM. I stretched as I got out of the car, my muscles were stiff from the long drive. I looked around at my surroundings, wondering where we were. There was a house, and a beaten up car in front. Other than that, I couldn't see anything. Sam and Dean were already walking up to the house; I grabbed my pack and scurried to catch up to them. They knocked at the door as I rushed up behind them. Dean smirked at my flushed face, which made me get redder. It seemed to be hotter here, and I noticed that there weren't many trees around. I desperately craved for the chilling sensation of getting into a cool pool, (where the heat was actually bearable).  
Within seconds the door opened to reveal an older man with a ball cap on. He looked a little rough around the edges, but seemed friendly enough as he greeted us with a smile. He eyed me curiously, (and not just because I was panting like a mad dog).  
"This her?" He asked, addressing Dean. Dean nodded.  
"This is Bobby, a good friend. You'll be safe with him." Dean said. Bobby smiled and stuck out his hand. I took it, not surprised to find his grip firm.  
"I'm Alice, nice to meet you." I said, a bit nervous. Bobby stepped aside, motioning for me to come in. I did, but Dean and Sam didn't follow me. I turned to them, frowning.  
"Sorry Alice, but we better get on the job." Sam said. He could read the concern on my face, and tried to comfort me by touching my arm. It worked; the fear dissolved away and was replaced with hope. These guys were experts, and they knew what they were doing.  
Dean looked on at us with impatience, stepping back and making his way back to his 'girl'.  
"Come on Sam." He yelled after his brother. Sam gave me an assuring smile, his hand still warm on my skin. I felt the butterflies, followed by the slow, soft pouring of warm honey.  
"We'll be back soon, I promise."He said, and was off. I watched the Impala drive away until all that was left was a trail of dust. I followed Bobby into the house, feeling a little bit more reassured, yet still felt the uneasiness creep up my spine. The spider was back, crawling a desirable path up to the base of my neck. I looked back, but nothing was there.  
I hoped Sam would keep his promise.


	4. Chapter 4

The 66th Seal  
by Kentcharm

A/N: Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them! This is a longer chapter (for me), but the next chapter is rather short, so I'm apologizing in advance! After that the chapters are just the usual 2000/3000 range.

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Chapter 4

Bobby was really sweet, to me he seemed like a father figure to the boys. I spent the first half of the night with him, listening to his anecdotes about Sam and Dean. I asked him about Dean and Sam's childhood, wondering where his parents were and how they had grown up. Bobby didn't seem very comfortable telling me anything. I only managed to find out that they were both dead, their mother died when Sam was just baby and their father more recently. I pondered this for awhile, but still had a lot of questions.  
I asked Bobby why Dean had gone to hell. He sighed and said that he had promised a demon his soul in return for Sam's life back. I was shocked to hear all of this, they hadn't told me much after all. Bobby went into great detail about their first time meeting Castiel and how apparently he had been ordered by God to save Dean from 'perdition'. Dean had been in hell for four months, but apparently it seemed a lot longer to him than that. My stomach squirmed thinking of him down there, being cut into pieces over and over again. I felt the overwhelming need to comfort Dean, make him forget all of those horrible things.  
After awhile Bobby left me to myself. I lay across the couch, thinking about the boys. I didn't know what they would be up against, I just prayed they would be alright. I dozed off, and when I woke the house was completely silent. I slowly sat up, straining to hear Bobby fumbling around in the kitchen or walking around upstairs. There wasn't anything so I assumed he had gone to bed. I walked across the hardwood floor, struggling to walk through the dark. I managed to find the bathroom, using my hand to feel around for the light switch. The light stung my eyes as it illuminated the white tiles. I rubbed my eyes and went to the sink. I quickly washed my face, and looked into the mirror in front of me. I leaned closer to it. There were thin spider-web like cracks forming from the right corner, spreading out to the top. It made my reflection look skewed, abnormal. My face appeared to be broken into little pieces. I looked away, feeling troubled. It was just too quiet.  
"Bobby?" I called out. Something didn't feel right. I desperately wished that Sam was with me, I always felt better when he was around. There wasn't an answer. I sighed.  
"_He must be sleeping." _I thought, trying to comfort myself. I turned back to the mirror.  
Black eyes.  
I tried to scream, but the _thing_ grabbed me from behind, his hand clasped over my mouth. His other arm was wrapped tightly around my arms, tightening as I struggled violently.  
"_Dean, Sam! Help me_!" I prayed. I could feel his heavy breath in my ear. I squirmed, disgusted as he pressed me tighter against him. I could see his demonic eyes scattered on the mirror, reminiscent of 'The Fly'. Dozens of the eyes stared back at me, making me feel claustrophobic. His smile widened as I began to cry. He made a hissing sound in my ear, reminding me of a snake.  
"We've been looking for you." He said, his voice was as soft as velvet. He bit my earlobe seductively as I tried to curse at him.  
"Be a good girl and be quiet, it will make my job so much easier." He said. He squeezed me tighter, my ribs ached.  
"Okay?" He asked. I nodded. His hand left my mouth, instead he started to stroke my hair. I gasped for breath, shaking at his touch. Feeling dizzy, my blood began to boil. I tried to move my head away from his hand, but he grabbed my jaw and forced me to look at him in the mirror.  
(The Devil)  
He started to press his lips into my hair, sniffing and groaning. His breath reached my nostrils, putrid and rotten. My face began to burn, my eyes watered.  
(The Beast)  
"Mmmm, I'd love to eat you up." He murmured. I felt like I was going to throw up, faintly aware that _yes_, he probably _could_ eat me. His grip on me lessened, and I knew that this was my only chance.  
I elbowed him as hard as I could, sickeningly satisfied as the air left his human lungs in a loud gasp. It didn't do much, but he did let me go. I started to run, but it was so dark that I couldn't tell where I was going. I unintentionally ran into a bedroom, a small lamp was the only light in the room. I could hear him laughing behind me, it enveloped me as it filtered through the room. Fear poured in waves down my spine as I became aware that I was trapped.  
"_Good way to prove your capable of taking care of yourself, dipshit_" I thought to myself.  
"You can't get away that easily, sweetheart." His velvety voice said, and I knew he was right.  
Suddenly I couldn't move my body. I had become useless, as dangerous as a Teddy Bear. His laugh echoed throughout the house. In one sudden swoop, I was lifted into the air. I soared through the air, my back colliding with the wall. I felt a sharp pain in my back, like my skin was ripping. I screamed in agony as the immense pain tore at me back. My limbs were immediately pinned against the wall, the pain increasing. I could feel a warm liquid gather on my shirt, and felt faint as I saw the blood. Invisible weights pressed against me, keeping my breath short. I was forced to look into his eyes. I started to cry, I felt like a bug stuck in a spider-web. I couldn't do anything to protect myself. The demon started to walk toward me, animal like. I closed my eyes as I braced myself for the worst.  
_Please don't eat me, PLEASE don't eat me!  
_A few moments passed, and nothing happened. I opened my eyes, wary of what I might see.  
The demon was inches from me, yet was not smiling anymore. He looked puzzled, his eyebrows raised in concern. I could see his throat tense up, and he coughed. His hands reached to his neck, he looked like he was choking. He coughed again, but this time black smoked started to pour out of his mouth. The weights lifted and I fell to the floor, my body worthless. My legs felt numb, and I struggled to sit up. The pain in my back made it hard to do anything, but I tried to ignore it. Looking up again, I saw a figure in the door way. It stepped out of the darkness, towards the demon.  
It was Sam.  
His arm was up, pointing at the quivering creature in the center of the room. His face was in total concentration, his mouth twitched.  
The smoke was gathering around the demons feet, cloud-like in appearance. It looked like fire was laced with it, the smell burned my nostrils. The demon fell to its knees, his face was contorted into a horrifying "O". Once the smoke stopped coming from his mouth, he stopped coughing, and fell face forward onto the floor. The smoke lingered for a few seconds, then disappeared into the hardwood floor. He didn't move.  
I looked back at Sam, horrified. He was panting, struggling for breath. He looked at me, his eyes appeared lethal. It scared me, and it showed on my face.  
His face suddenly softened, and his eyes saddened. He frowned, and looked at the ground. He brought his hand through his thick brown hair, avoiding my gaze. Dean came in.  
"Bobby was knocked out in the kitchen. I put him on the couch, he'll be okay." He said, then noticed the body lying in the center of the room.  
"Couldn't use the knife?" He said, sounding a little mad.  
I must have made a whimpering sound because suddenly they both looked at me. Dean ran to me, hastily kneeling down. Sam stood still, looking concerned.  
"Is she hurt?" He asked, his voice seemed pained. Dean scanned me, checking for wounds. I tried to speak, but I couldn't form the words.  
He pulled me toward him, I let my head rest on his strong shoulder. I felt feverish. Dean pulled my shirt up, his hand gently touching the painful spot on my back. I whimpered.  
"She has a pretty long gash on her back, nothing too serious. We can take care of it here. Hurry and get the usual stuff." Dean said. Sam ran out, obeying Dean's orders. Dean ran his hand up and down the uninjured area of my back, trying to comfort me. I clenched at the fabric of his shirt. I was so happy that he was here. Sam and Dean had saved me.  
_Sam..._  
A million questions ran through my mind. What had Sam done to that demon? I thought only the knife Dean had could kill one? Was this the secret I desperately wanted to find out? Why hadn't anyone told me?  
Sam came running back into the room. He had a first-aid kit, a sewing kit, and a bottle of Vodka. Dean carefully picked me up, placing me on the bed face down. My body felt so weak, I could barely lift an arm. I turned my head to the side so I could watch the two boys, Sam looked so concerned that I almost felt guilty. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I neared unconsciousness.  
Dean started to tear my shirt off. I could see that it was drenched with blood. Sam handed Dean the Vodka, and he quickly twisted the top off.  
"This is going to sting, Ally." He cautioned. I nodded.  
Dean poured the alcohol up and down my back, I hadn't realized the wound was that big. The alcohol felt like acid on my skin, and I struggled not to scream. I didn't want Sam or Dean to think that I was that weak. I knew that if I wasn't tough enough they wouldn't let me stay with them.  
Dean took a swig of the drink before he handed it back to Sam. He then took a needle and thread from the sewing kit. With great concentration, Dean threaded the needle.  
To my relief, I passed out before the needle could penetrate my skin.

***

I woke to the dull ache in my back. I slowly opened my eyes. I was in a bed, covered with a blanket. I peered around, a clock on the wall said 4PM. The wall too my left had a large dent in it, which caused the memories of the previous night to come back to me. I remembered the demon with the velvet voice, the attack, and trying to escape. I remembered Sam saving me, killing the demon without using the special knife Dean had...  
I slowly sat up, wincing a little as the pain increased in my back. I noticed that I was only wearing my bra, and blushed. Thankfully someone had left my backpack beside me. I stood up and tried to feel the wound on my back. There was a bandage over it, and I carefully lift it. I could see the wound stretch from the upper right of my side all the way to below my waist line on the left. The area that Dean had stitched was three inches long, and an ugly purple-bluish color. The rest wasn't as deep and was already healing. I noticed that the black stitches were done with great care and expertise. I imagined that Dean had had to do this kind of thing a lot.  
I quickly reapplied the bandage and took out one of the new tops I had bought at the store. I hurriedly put it on, eager to see if Bobby was all right. After running a brush through my hair, I carefully opened the bedroom door and crept out. I could hear Sam's and Dean's voices in the kitchen. I made my way down the hall, stopping as I got to the kitchen doorway. Sam was leaning against the counter while Dean was sitting at the small wooden table in the center of the room. Sam and Dean looked up. They appeared tired and were still wearing the clothes they had worn the day before. I guessed they hadn't slept.  
"Thank you." I said. I didn't know what else to say to them, they had saved my life. Dean forced a smile, Sam avoided my gaze. No one spoke.  
Suddenly Bobby came in, I felt a great wave of relief seeing him still in one piece. He looked like he had just woken up and was rubbing the back of his head.  
"Jesus, I'm glad to see you're alright, Alice. I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you." He said as he entered the kitchen. He took a seat next to Dean.  
"Boys, what happened last night?"  
Dean sighed, he seemed troubled. "We were tricked."  
"Tricked?"  
Sam squirmed, still not looking at me. This troubled me.  
"The information we got was a set up. It was a trick, and it almost got Alice killed."  
Bobby sat in thought. He tried to reassure Dean.  
"They wouldn't have killed her Dean, you know that."  
Dean got a faraway look in his eyes, reminiscing of something.  
"No, it would have been worse. Being down there is worse than any death. " He said, his eyes fixated on a spot on the table. I knew what he was referring to, my heart sank.  
"Looks like Ruby..." Dean started, but Sam interrupted.  
"It wasn't Ruby's fault. She couldn't have known."  
I wondered about this demon friend of Sam's. Dean didn't seem to like her, and his prejudices were starting to rub off on me. I didn't like the way she made Sam sneak out behind Dean's back, and most of all I didn't like the way Sam appeared to trust her completely.  
"_She's a demon after all."_ I thought.  
Dean looked disgusted. He didn't respond to his brother, but instead turned to stare at me. I remained still at the doorway, not wanting to interfere with the boys.  
"Are you feeling all right?" He asked, his face softer. I nodded shyly. I didn't want to cause anyone any more trouble. It was quiet again. Sam broke the silence.  
"I think we should take Alice somewhere safe, away from us."  
I was shocked. "No!" I said, my heart beating faster. Sam's eyes met mine, he looked distressed. I lost all words.  
"It's for the best." He said. Dean objected.  
"What are you talking about Sam? We didn't agree on this."  
Sam looked at his brother, his expression heated.  
"You saw what happened to her last night! How did you feel seeing her like that?"  
Dean didn't answer, instead he concentrated on the table again. I was overwhelmed with the situation.  
"It wasn't that bad!" I said, "You saved me!"  
"If it wasn't for me, that wouldn't have happened to you!" He yelled. I shook my head, my eyes started to feel wet.  
"Sam," Bobby interrupted. "Now is not the time to be blaming yourself. If you want the job done right do it yourself right?"  
I was grateful to Bobby for taking my side, but I could understand where Sam was coming from. I had let that demon attack me, and I couldn't stop it. It isn't like I didn't know how to defend myself, I just froze up. I was really useless, and was just creating problems for the two brothers. But still, in the last two days I had felt myself start to come out of my shell. I wasn't stuck within the bars of my usual life. There was finally some excitement, I was actually a part of something.  
"Let's just forget about it okay? It won't happen again, I'll be ready next time."  
Sam scoffed. "Next time." He said and walked out of the room. I heard him leave the house. I thought of him going to Ruby and my heart sank. I ran after him. He was halfway down the driveway before I caught up with him.  
"Sam! Please wait!" I said, pulling his sleeve. He spun around, furious.  
"I don't know how to protect you, Alice." He said, "The only way I managed to last night was using these demonic powers I have."  
"Demonic powers?" I asked.  
"I'm half demon, Alice. " Sam said as if it was obvious enough. I let my hand run down the length of his arm in attempt to show him I wasn't scared. He appeared to calm down a bit. He seemed relieved to get this off his chest, and I felt happy that he was opening up to me. He looked so vulnerable right now, my stomach clenched. He continued to speak.  
"A demon named 'Yellow eyes' turned me into _this _when I was just a baby, and in the process managed to kill my mother. He did this to others, many others. We were all part of his plan to make a powerful demon army, and I was supposed to lead it. We managed to kill him... but I'm still..." he struggled to finish his sentence."Even God doesn't want me to use them. " I was shocked, and struggled to absorb this new information. Sam looked like he was breaking, I couldn't bare it any longer. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He just stood there shocked, not knowing what to do.  
"Sam, you used your powers to save me. I don't see any harm in it if you're using them for the benefit of others. You're you, Sam, no one else."  
Sam's arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer to his body. I became very conscience of his body heat and his wonderful smell. The butterflies fluttered.  
"Sam" I moaned. His body tensed and he pulled back.  
"Sorry." He said quickly, avoiding my eyes. He seemed flustered.  
I felt a sudden wave of confidence and grabbed his hand, forcing him to look at me.  
"Don't be" I said. He looked at me curiously, his eyes began to soften. The hand I wasn't holding went up to my cheek, his fingers tracing my jaw line. His thumb began to outline my lips. My heart was beating so fast I thought I might faint. He was going to kiss me, I knew it. My legs felt wobbly.  
"_Alice..."_ He said, his voice was like honey. He began to lean forward...  
Suddenly someone coughed behind us. Sam dropped his hand, I turned to see Dean. He had my backpack in his hand, and didn't look too happy.  
"I think it's time to leave. The demons know we're here, more will come." He said, emotionless. He looked like stone, it scared me.

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

The 66th Seal  
by Kentcharm

* * *

Chapter 5

We had said our goodbyes to Bobby and were on the road again. It was night out, and it had started to rain. I loved the rain, it always calmed me. Unfortunately it wasn't now. Dean was very quiet, just like he had been the night we first met. I wondered if he was mad.  
Sam was looking out the window again, lost in thought. Sometimes he would look back at me, contemplating. Overall the car-ride was unbearably awkward. I wasn't sure if Sam was regretting his actions, I hoped he didn't. I knew I had feelings for him, I had from the first time I saw him in the diner. I just wasn't sure if he felt the same for me. Was what Dean said true? Did he like Ruby?  
"Where are we going?" I asked.  
"To the nearest motel, _Ruby_ is going to meet us." Dean said mockingly. Her name came out of his mouth with noticeable distaste.  
I felt apprehensive that I was finally going to see her. I wondered what she looked like, how she talked, and how Sam would act around her. The rest of the drive was silent. I tried to concentrate on the sound of the rain and the wind shield wipers, but I couldn't calm myself. We pulled up to a motel, it looked the same as the one before, the only difference was that it was completely empty.  
Dean left the car to rent a room while Sam and I waited. I knew Sam wasn't going to incite a conversation with me. I wished Dean would hurry back.  
Headlights flashed behind me as a yellow car with what appeared to be black stripes across the top pulled up beside us. Immediately Sam got out to greet them. I inevitably guessed that it was Ruby. I felt sad being left alone in the car, I was like excess baggage; unwanted.  
I jumped as Dean opened my door. He was soaking wet.  
"Come on." He said. I obediently got out and followed him to the motel room, we were in room four. Sam and Ruby followed us, farther behind. It was too dark so I couldn't see her clearly. From what I could tell she had brown hair, darker skin, and a slim frame. My stomach squirmed.  
I hurriedly entered the room, escaping the rain without getting too wet. The room was the same as before, except with different bed covers and curtains. It smelled like Febreeze.  
I decided to sit on the bed. Dean stayed standing. Sam entered, Ruby behind him. Her eyes were the same color as her hair, and her lips were pouty and a dark pink. With her curvaceous body, she looked like a real woman. I looked down at my A-cups and felt myself fail in comparison. I crossed my arms.  
"This is her?" She asked. Her voice was fluid and firm. Sam nodded. Dean scoffed, I could tell he didn't like her too much.  
"_Her_ name is Alice." He said. I forced a smile in greeting, she didn't give one back.  
"Nice job yesterday, Dean." She said, sarcasm entwined in every word she spoke. "If it wasn't for Sam using his powers yesterday, she'd be Lilith's play toy right now."  
"Excuse me, but you're the one that got us on that wild goose chase in the first place!" Dean said, raising his voice. "We would have been with her if you hadn't given Sam false information!"  
Ruby raised her voice too. "I can't be sure the information I get is one-hundred percent accurate! I was tricked just like you were!" she said. Dean scoffed.  
"You're a demon, who knows whose side you're_ really _on."  
Ruby took a step forward, ready to fight. Sam held her back.  
"Ruby!" he said, holding her close against his body. I didn't like that very much. Ruby stopped struggling so he released his grip, not fully dropping his hands.  
"Dean, you know she's on our side. She's done nothing but help us." Sam said, anger in his voice. I felt like a kettle, steam building up in my body. Why was Sam taking her side over his brothers? This was unbearable. Dean seemed to think the same.  
"I'm going to leave, let you two be alone." He said, walking toward the door, his fists clenched.  
_"No!_" I thought, I didn't want to be left alone with them. If I had to watch Sam treat Ruby this tenderly for any longer I felt I might go insane.  
"Dean!" I said, catching his attention as he opened the door. "Can...I come?"  
Both he and Sam looked at me puzzled. Dean put his arm out the door, gesturing for me to exit. I got up swiftly, avoiding Sam's eyes as I passed. Dean roughly shut the door behind us and stalked off towards his Impala. I quickly followed him, not saying a word. He was radiating anger, and definitely not one to mess with. The rain had eased up and wasn't as thick as before. The sky was clear and I could see the infinite number of stars, it was beautiful. I got into the passenger seat, realizing it was the first time I'd been in it. Dean got in after me, the loud groan of steel piercing my ears. I decided to remain silent until he cooled off a bit. The engine roared to life, and pulled out of the motel. I didn't know where we were going, but I knew that if I was with Dean, I'd be safe.

***

I was thrilled when we pulled into a diner, I felt like I hadn't eaten in ages. Dean hadn't settled down much, but at least he wasn't walking so fast. He waited for me to come by his side before we walked into the restaurant. It was nice and relatively empty, the clock on the wall said 10PM. We quickly found a booth and sat across from one another. A pretty young girl handed us menus, but Dean already knew what he wanted. He ordered himself a cheeseburger and fries, and I asked for the same. I was amazed that he hadn't sweet talked her, in fact, he barely even looked at her. _"He must be pretty angry."_ I thought. I fumbled with the utensils as Dean sat lost in thought.  
Dean was the first to break the silence.  
"I can't stand the way Sam acts around that girl." He said, more to himself than me. "All she wants is for him to use his powers."  
"Oh?" I murmured, wanting him to continue. I hadn't heard any of this.  
"Yeah, and what makes it worse is that he's lying to me about her all of the time. You saw him the other night, sneaking off. It makes me wonder if he's still using his powers, even after what Castiel said."  
I remembered Sam mentioning something like that before.  
"What exactly did Castiel say?" I asked, leaning forward in interest.  
Dean looked into my eyes for what seemed like the first time all day. He didn't say anything, which made me feel uneasy. I dropped my gaze to the table. Thankfully the waitress came with our food. I started eating my fries using a fork, Dean used his hands. I wasn't surprised, he _was_ a man.  
He continued to talk.  
"Cas said that Mr. High and Mighty didn't approve of Sam using his powers, and that if I didn't stop them...they would." Dean became quiet, I did also. How could Ruby want Sam to continue using his powers if it might cost him his life?  
I ate the rest of my meal in silence, as did Dean. By the time we finished the atmosphere was back to usual. The waitress came and left the check, smiling the entire time at Dean.  
"Thanks, sweetheart." He said, flashing his pearly whites. I giggled as the waitress blushed. When she left I turned to Dean.  
"Hey, why don't you ever call me 'sweetheart'?" I asked playfully. Dean actually thought about this for a moment.  
"I don't know" he said, frowning. I clasped my hands on the table, looking out the window. The rain continued to fall against the glass, flowing down to make random patterns.  
"Think it's safe to go back yet?" I asked. Dean scoffed.  
"I don't know, but let's crash their party anyways." He said, and I laughed.  
Dean paid for us, and I thanked him kindly. The waitress had frowned as he left, which made me snicker.  
"Dean Winchester, have you always been a heartbreaker?" I asked, enthusiasm in my voice. He smiled.  
"Well, I've always had a way with the ladies." He replied.  
I laughed. "Not all of them." I said. He didn't reply.  
We got into the car and made our way back to the motel. We enjoyed light conversation the entire ride back. I was glad that we were talking again, it sucked when he had ignored me all morning. Dean quieted when we pulled into the motel's parking lot. I noticed why. The yellow car with the black stripes was still there. I groaned. We parked on the opposite side of the lot, I didn't question why. Dean and I got out of the car, and I followed him a little further behind. The rain was falling faster and thicker again, the water droplets felt cold on my skin. I really wasn't looking forward to seeing Ruby again, and wasn't in a hurry to get into the room. I noticed ahead of me that Dean didn't open the motel room door, instead he went to the window to peer through the partly open curtains. He turned away, looking a little troubled.  
"Let's go back to the car." He said. I was confused. Was something wrong?  
"What is it?" I asked, moving toward the window to try to see what Dean had been looking at. He tried to pull me away, which fed my curiosity. The wet rain loosened his grip, and I managed to pull away. I looked into the window.  
Ruby and Sam were standing in the middle of the room, kissing. Ruby's mouth was moving in a fast rhythm against Sam's, her hands clenching the fabric of his shirt. Sam just stood there, letting her ravish him. My heart fell into my stomach. Of course he never had feelings for me, we had only known each other for a few days. I had fooled myself to think we had something between us. I could feel the warm tears running down my cheeks, mixing with the rain. I was glad Dean wouldn't be able to tell I was crying. I silently left the window, heading for the Impala. Dean followed. I got into the passenger seat, it was still warm. Dean got in after me, and we both just sat there in silence. I concentrated on the dashboard, thinking of how stupid I must have acted around Sam. All I managed to do in the past three days was embarrass myself. I was a complete idiot.  
After awhile I began to feel sleepy. I moved toward Dean, grateful that the older cars didn't have two separate seats. I rested my head on his shoulder, and he didn't mind it. He wrapped his arm around me, providing me with much needed warmth. I laid my hands on his chest and breathed him in. I liked the smell of his leather jacket, it was different than Sam's.  
"Please don't cry, Ally." He said, his voice filled with concern. I hadn't realized it, but small whimpers were escaping my lips and tears were still running down my cheeks. I sniffled.  
"I'm sorry." I said, embarrassed. I couldn't believe I was acting this way in front of Dean, I hoped I wasn't making him uncomfortable.  
"My brother can be stupid sometimes." He said. I nodded against his chest. I guessed the secret was out, I had always been as readable as an open book.  
I felt Dean's cheek against the top of my head. It felt so natural that I didn't mind it. I started to concentrate on the soft pitter-patter of the rain against the top of the roof. It was gentle and rhythmic, and I felt myself doze off within minutes. I dreamt of blood and the hollow sound of screaming.

* * *

Foreshadowing, anyone?


	6. Chapter 6

The 66th Seal  
by Kentcharm

* * *

Chapter 6

I woke up to the sound of someone walking around me. I opened my eyes, straining against the bright sunlight that peered through the curtains. I was back in the motel room; Sam and Ruby were nowhere to be seen. Dean was sitting on the edge of the bed beside me, putting his shoes on. I closed my eyes tightly.

I remembered my dream clearly, and he had been in it. There was a room, and chains had hung menacingly from the ceiling, clanging together in eerie harmony. It sort of looked like a hospital room because there had been an operation table in the center of it, and another little table beside it with what looked like surgical instruments on it. Dean had been beside that table, fingering the knives and drills, his hands bloody. I called out to him, but he was infatuated with something else. I then noticed that there was a _girl_ on the operation table, bound to the table by leather straps. She was shivering and crying relentlessly; pleading, begging for the pain to stop. I tried telling her that Dean and I were here, and that she needn't worry. She wouldn't calm down.  
"Dean, tell her it will be alright." I begged, the girls agony disturbing me deeply. He didn't look up, but instead took a saw off of the table. I frowned deeply; confused.  
"Dean?"  
Suddenly a figure appeared by Dean, deeply engulfed in the shadows. It spoke to Dean, his voice cloaked with kindness, yet haunted with perversion.  
"You know what to do, don't you Dean?"  
Dean nodded, his jaw flexed. The girls cries grew more insistent, she pulled desperately at her restraints. My heart beat quickened, anxious. We had to save her! That's what Dean did, didn't he? Save people?  
Suddenly, Dean placed the blade on the girl's leg; just above the kneecap. He shift his weight, adding it onto the saw. My stomach churned, my breath caught in my throat. He began to pull the blade back, its teeth sinking into the girls flesh and bone; his arms moving aggressively, yet rhythmically. Blood flew everywhere, soaking my hair and face. I gasped, beginning to hyperventilate. I brought my hands to my face, desperately trying to rub the blood off, yet smearing it and spreading it further. Her blood soaked into my body and with it her pain. Her screams tore at my insides, and I moaned in defeat. Her face looked deformed, frozen in pain. I prayed she would lose conscience, yet she never did; they wouldn't give her that relief. _I had to help her...._  
I looked up at Dean now, who was also covered in her blood. Laughter filled the room, coming from the shadows.  
"Dean, my most promising student." It laughed.  
With that, Dean smiled.  
I turned around in disgust, my hands at my ears, trying to block out the torturous cries. The girl's prayers were left unanswered.  
There is not God.

I opened my eyes again, determined to wake up. I lift my arms above me on the pillow, stretching; my back ached. Dean looked at me briefly, then bent to tie his shoelaces. I sighed.  
What an awful dream.  
"Why am I always the last one to wake up?" I asked, more to myself than Dean. He forced a smile. I knew what he was thinking, and I didn't want to think of it right now. Sam would have to wait.  
I sat up slowly, wincing in pain as the wound on my back screamed against the motion. Dean was at my side in seconds. He lift the back of my shirt up, gently touching my back. My heart sped up. This Dean wasn't at all like the one in my dream...he was too nice and considerate.  
"It's not healing as fast as I'd like." He said as his hand gently outlined the stitches he had done so carefully.  
"Oh." I said softly, not knowing what to say. His fingers lingered on the flesh of my back, our eyes met.  
Suddenly the door was opened, revealing a flustered Sam.  
"It's really hot." He said, then looked up at the two of us. I noticed the atmosphere change. It was tense between the three of us.  
Without thinking I got up, grabbed some clothes out of my pack and stalked off to the bathroom. I really didn't feel like seeing Sam right now. I took off my clothes and jumped into the shower, careful not to expose my stitches to the water. I unwillingly ran the events of the previous night over in my head, and wondered if Ruby had stayed the night. Dean had been so nice and understanding, I decided that I owed him one. Sam, on the other hand, was a different story. I was so confused, what was he thinking?  
After I finished washing my hair, I reluctantly got out of the shower. As I put my wet hair into two braids I decided that I would just pretend that nothing had ever happened; that seemed like the easiest thing to do. I hastily put on my Ramones baseball shirt and the shorts I had bought and was out the door.  
Sam and Dean were sitting on opposing beds. Each of their faces were red, I could tell that they had been fighting. They looked up as I came in.  
"What's wrong?" I asked, hesitantly.  
"You tell her Sam." Dean said. Sam looked at the ground when he spoke to me.  
"Ruby came up with a plan to get Lilith." He said.  
"What is it?" I asked, apprehensive. Sam didn't answer.  
"It doesn't matter, were not doing it." Dean said.  
"What is it?" I asked again, this time with more insistence.  
"Well," He started, "She said that we should use you as bait."  
At first I was taken aback, but as I thought it over, it sort of made sense to me. Of course I was scared of the idea, but if it meant that Lucifer wouldn't be set free and lives would be saved then I would gladly do it.  
"There are other ways to get her." Dean said.  
"And what ways are those? Every day we run out of more and more time. We're not any closer to killing Lilith than we were months ago." Sam said, frustrated.  
"It's too dangerous, Alice could get-" Dean started, but I interrupted, I had made up my mind.  
"I'll do it."

***

Ruby had told Sam that there was a good chance that Lilith was, in fact, watching our every move. Like the previous incident where I had been attacked, she said that if I were to be alone again there was a good chance they'd come after me. So we began to make our plan surrounding this idea, hoping that Lilith would show up.  
"How do we know she'll come and not another one of her followers?" Dean had asked, still uneasy about the whole idea. Ruby, having come back to the motel, had replied saying, "They screwed up the last time, and everyone knows if you want the job done right, do it yourself."  
I now sat cross-legged on the motel bed. The sheets had cute, swirly designs on it; the red threads were illuminated by the table lamp. I sat very still, listening to the groups plans develop, tracing my fingers across the patterns. Ruby, Sam, and Dean were at the wooden table, talking as if I wasn't even there. I stole glances at Sam and Ruby. I noticed Ruby's Hershey-chocolate coloured eyes move over Sam, yearning. I thought to myself that I probably looked that way when I stared at Sam. His soft, touchable hair, his brilliant green eyes, and the cute way he smiled...  
I suddenly felt claustrophobic, the air thinned out and I found it hard to breathe. My head felt hot, and I decided I needed some fresh air. I stood up, moving toward the door.  
"Where are you going?" Ruby asked, authority woven in her voice.  
I blushed, avoiding her eyes. "It's hot, I'd like to go outside." I said, a little angry at myself for sounding sorry. Ruby just turned back to the boys, who had also looked up at me. I opened the door and walked out into the cool air. It was like a cold blanket, somehow still comforting as it sent shivers down my arms. The sun was just setting, the warmer colors of the visual spectrum making themselves known. Radiant reds and oranges filled the sky, small puffs of cloud saying their last goodbyes.  
I heard a door shut, and looked to see who it was. Sam was standing beside me, his tan skin glowing from the sun. He smiled at me. I tried to smile back, but failed. I was still mad at him, even though he didn't know it.  
"Hey." He said, coming closer. I looked back at the sunset, trying to ignore my rapid heartbeat.  
"Hey." I answered.  
"Alice."  
I forced myself to look back at Sam. He appeared saddened; the corners of his mouth turning downwards into a frown. Each step he took toward me was careful and precise, as if he was trying to be careful of what to say next.  
"Dean told me about last night."  
My stomach flipped. I could feel myself turn red. Why did Dean have to say anything? I had thought that there had been some unspoken agreement between us as my silent tears dried on his shirt the night before.  
"Oh." I said, trying to act nonchalant. I averted my gaze back to the sunset. "Well, it's alright. It was a bit troublesome for Dean and I, but no worries." I felt a little dilated, chickening out like this. I knew I should confront my feelings, yet the thought of Sam and Ruby together stopped me. What right did I have to get in the way of them? Unfortunately, Sam wasn't fooled.  
"Alice, you know there is something between us."  
I was completely caught off guard. I looked at him astonished, lost for words. Was I not just imaging the whole thing? It wasn't just a little girl's fascination, or possibly obsession? Did Sam have feelings for me?  
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." I stuttered. Suddenly it became darker, more chilled. I tried to rush past Sam but he caught my arm.  
"Alice, you know as well as I do what happened the other day. I...I wanted it to happen." He said, beginning to blush. My heart began to swell as Sam opened up to me. His vulnerability at this moment was unsettling, and yet oddly compelling. I wanted to get caught up in him, lose myself in his gentle caress and soft lips. Thoughts of utter bliss began to devour my mind like a hungry animal, but something brought me back to reality. It was completely dark now, I had missed the sunset. Something felt ominous about this, and I frightened as a shiver went up my spine.  
"I don't know what you're talking about." I repeated, this time more firm. He released his grasp on my arm and I pulled away easily. Before I re-entered the motel room, I looked back at him. He was looking away into nothingness again, as if deep in thought. His face was traced with lines of defeat, and for a moment I felt guilty. Maybe I shouldn't have been so-  
"Alice."  
Dean's voice interrupted my thoughts. He was standing in the doorway, his eyes filled with concern.  
"It's time."

* * *

I'm just curious, are there any Sam/Alice shippers out there? :O


	7. Chapter 7

The 66th Seal  
By Kentcharm

* * *

Chapter 7

"That's it! I can't be with you two anymore! I'm leaving!"  
I slammed the door and stalked off into the night. I huffed and puffed like a big bad wolf, (as instructed). I felt a little awkward, I was never a really good actress. I could tell that Dean was desperately trying not to laugh as I screamed at them.  
The bright stars provided me with much needed guidance, but I still stumbled on the gravel. I felt like a fool, I was sure that Ruby had been wrong. Here I was, the worm on the hook; except this time the worm agreed to its sacrifice. I wrapped my jacket tighter around me, trying to shield myself against the strong wind. Somewhere Dean and Sam were watching me, and I felt comforted by that fact.  
I tried not to imagine scary things in the dark, but I couldn't help it. I saw the black eyes everywhere; I could feel them on me. The familiar shiver ran up my spine and ended at my earlobes.  
I continued walking up the gravel road, trying to calm my nerves by humming a familiar song. I could see a gas station in the distance, remembering that Sam had decided that that would be the cut off point. If nothing supernatural occurred, I would just turn and head back to the motel. It was strange, but I knew that I didn't want Lilith to show up. If Sam and Dean miraculously succeeded in terminating her, then everything would be over for me. I would go back to working at the Red-Rose Diner, and I would never see the Winchester's again. I couldn't bear the thought of that. These past few days had changed me, and not just because of the new knowledge of angels and demons. Dean and Sam had reminded me of the freedom that could be given to those who pursued it. The overwhelming feeling of it as we drove for endless hours on the open road had intoxicated me, and I had let myself become addicted to it. My worries and doubts had been left behind, and I had no intention of going back to retrieve them. I wanted to stay with Dean and Sam.  
The little gas station was now more than just a speck in the distance. I could make out a rusty red pickup truck at its front, but couldn't see any people in or around it. I also noticed that the lights inside were off, which was odd considering the luminous sign in front that read "24/7".  
I got more and more anxious as I saw that the front window of the building was smashed to bits. I froze, not caring that I was in the middle of the road. I wasn't sure if I should turn back or keep going, but after a few moments of contemplation I decided that I would proceed. How was I supposed to know whether it was a supernatural occurrence? It could have just been a robbery, or a few kids playing pranks...  
_"In the middle of nowhere?"_ I thought, but quickly tried to reassure myself again.  
_"If I went back, Dean would think I was a baby. I have to prove that I'm brave."_  
I was now coming up to the front of the building. My pace slowed as I made my way to the front entrance. The front door was wide open, and glass shards crumbled under my shoes. There was an eerie silence which provoked me to speak.  
"Hello?" I called out, leaning on the doorframe and peering inside the dark building. Racks that had held convenience items were thrown aside; chip bags and chocolate bars strewn on the ground. I felt myself choke on the repulsive smell of iron and rotting eggs. My vision spanned 3 feet before it was engulfed in the darkness, and I had a brief feeling that I shouldn't go any further. I was about to turn and leave, but froze as I heard gagging. It sounded like someone was drowning, desperately trying to breathe but only swallowing more and more water.  
I took a few more steps into the store, desperately trying to strain my eyes and hold my breath at the same time. I followed the sickening sounds, trying to ignore the fear that was growing in my body.  
"Is someone there? Do you need help? Are you hurt?" I called out, oddly comforted by the sound of my own voice. I knew that I was going against Ruby's plan. I wasn't supposed to leave the road, where they wouldn't be able to see me.  
I noticed a shelf to my right, which was stocked full of camping supplies. I quickly spotted a packaged flashlight that read "Batteries included". I made a silent prayer and tore at the plastic case, hastily retrieving the flashlight. With one fluid motion, I turned on the light.  
My heart stopped.  
The light from my flashlight revealed nothing but horror. The walls were completely covered in blood, a cruel backdrop to the dead bodies that were disseminated everywhere. Some were hacked into pieces, barely recognizable. A female hung from the ceiling, strung up by her organs; another lay naked, bound tightly in fishing wire until the fat of her body protruded like gills on a fish. Severed body parts were placed like ornaments on shelves, showcasing cans of bug repellent and Polysporin. My throat tightened and my stomach convulsed, I felt like I was drowning in the smell of the decay. I had the faintest recollection of a slaughter house, rotting carcases swinging in the dead of wind; meat being hacked and served by the most skillful hands. My body broke out in shivers, my nerves shot. A wave of ice rushed through my weakened body, turning my blood to ice.  
Suddenly, I felt something grab at my ankle. Choking on my voice, I swallowed a scream. I looked down to see an elderly man, his mouth open in a horrified scream. Blood poured profusely from it, and I realized that he was the source of the sickening sounds. He was choking on his own blood, and my stomach turned as I saw globs of it splattering grotesquely on the floor.  
I quickly reacted, bending down in attempt to aid him. He was barely visible under the layers of blood that cloaked him. As I reached my hands outward, I saw his eyes widen as if I was about to hurt him.  
"Don't worry, sir, I'm going to help you!" I said, trying to be soothing and yet faltering as my voice became shaky. The man let out a moan, and began to shake. I backed away; confused. In one quick second I realized that he wasn't looking at _me_, but _behind _me. Before I could turn, the man's head twisted completely around. I gasped as the invisible hands continued to twist it until the skin ripped like worn leather, his bones made a malicious sound as they broke, one by one. I fell backwards onto my bottom, hastily pushing myself away from the man's now twisted, deformed body. A film formed on top of his eyes, becoming empty and hollow. I tried to scream, but couldn't; the utter shock of the situation silenced me. The sound of faint giggling came from behind me, and I faintly became aware that I was surrounded by dark figures. I slowly stood, my jeans covered with the thick, sticky substance of death. As I turned around I counted four demons, (I assumed that's what they were). Slowly they came closer, their faces becoming clearer. The first to step out of the darkness was a young girl in a white dress. Her long blonde locks were dripping with the blood of her fallen victims, and as she approached she suckled at the blood on her hand. From the stories Sam and Dean had told me, I assumed her to be Lilith. She slowly pointed her hand at me, and like a puppet master, she began to control me. She flicked her fingers downwards, and at the same time I was brought forcefully to my knees. I moaned silently, struggling for self control.  
The others came into view, two males and one other female. I was surprised to see that the giggling came from the older woman. Each piercing sound of her voice brought shivers up my spine and made the hair at the back of my neck stand on end. She, like the little girl, had blood all over her. Her pallid white skin contrasted the crimson exquisitely, reminding me of the Countess Elizabeth Bathory, who bathed in the blood of girls in her tireless search for immortality. I was forced to give my attention to the little girl as she came within inches of my quivering body. She smiled, her teeth stained red.  
"Hello, Alice. Like my work?" she said, gesturing to the bloodbath behind me.  
"It took quite some time... we've been waiting for you for all day, and we just couldn't help ourselves..." she trailed off, looking me over, inspecting every inch of me with her calculating, cold eyes. The older woman twirled like a little girl, ignoring Lilith and I. She seemed detached, and as she began to poke and prod at the bodies around her I had an eerie feeling that something wasn't right. I forced myself to focus on Lilith, who was now taking her small fingers and running them from my breast to my neck. I struggled against the weights that bound me, but was once again made completely defenceless.  
"Alice...I am very mad at you, you know. The night before last you contributed in the killing of my lover." She said, her emotionless voice began to curl, I could sense the rage coming from her fingertips. I was set back as her words registered in my brain.  
"L-lover?" I choked. The memory of the night at Bobby's came back in one sweeping wave. Had that demon been Lilith's_ lover_? Was that even possible? This little girl...  
_(Well maybe not so little)_  
...had a romantic relationship with the demon that tried to kill me? Could a demon even love?  
_Ruby_  
Of course they could, look at Sam and Ruby. I was so stupid....  
"Yes Alice, you killed him, and now I'm going to make the rest of your life hell." She laughed; a loud, rambunctious laugh. It did not fit the little girl body she inhabited, which made it even more spooky.  
"But...you need me..." I said, using anything to delay the torture. _Sam...Dean...Hurry up..._  
Lilith stopped her laughing, and looked at the older woman behind her shoulder. The woman gave a curt nod, and Lilith continued.  
"I am well aware of that, Alice. Fortunately we have successfully broken five more seals! It won't be long now... and of course, there are other methods I can use that won't spill a drop of your blood!" I cowered as her voice became more shrill. Where were the boys?  
"What do you mean?" I asked, successfully entertaining her further.  
"Well, for starters, I can kill the Winchesters right in front of you. "She said, her little fingers tapping on her chin menacingly. The only light in the room came from my fallen flashlight, but somehow she and her followers glowed in an unearthly manner. Their skin appeared that of a dead person's - all color was lost. Taking this in consideration, I suspected that their hosts were dead. I felt loss in this, guilty that I was the cause.  
Lilith's words came out of her mouth like snakes, and I didn't want to hear them. I knew every word she uttered had some perverted truth behind it, and I could imagine the hours she spent dreaming of the torture she would like to inflict on the two troublesome Winchester brothers.  
I couldn't put the boys in that situation. I couldn't let Lilith win....  
"You couldn't." I said, sudden courage rushing through every crevice of my body. "They're stronger than you."  
She laughed, yet uneasiness seeped through.  
"Well, I happen to know their two greatest weaknesses. They know none of mine."  
"Oh?" I asked, trying to look behind her and out the door. It was closed. What if something happened to Sam and Dean? Perhaps Ruby crossed them....or there were other demons around the area? One knife against these four demons would be tricky enough...  
"Mhm." She said, smiling proudly. I was surprised at how cocky she was, I had imagined Lilith to be so much different...  
"It was quite easy to figure out actually." She began to trace her forefinger along my jaw line, using the blood on her hand like face paint.  
"Their weaknesses are each other, and you."  
I coughed, and it turned into a laugh. Lilith didn't find it funny.  
"Me? I've been nothing but trouble for them. If you think using me against them will work, then you've..."  
"Oh, Alice, are you that naive? We saw you with Dean last night, nice and cozy I'd say."  
My face flushed, how long had they been watching?  
"It was just one human giving another support." I said, "It's something you wouldn't understand."  
Suddenly she was behind me, both hands on my shoulders. I grew uneasy without seeing her, knowing where she was...  
"Would you like to know a little secret, Alice?" She whispered into my ear. I remained silent, curiosity growing inside of me.  
"Did Dean tell you that _he_ broke the first seal?"  
I felt weak and my skin crawled. I wasn't sure if she was lying or telling the truth, but somehow I knew Dean was capable of keeping a secret. I remained silent, praying that Sam would burst through the door...  
"Of course not, I'm sure he hasn't even told Sam..." Her hands began to weave themselves in my hair. I tried to ignore her words and not listen, yet there was no escape.  
The two men to my right hadn't moved an inch; they still remained silent and as stiff as marble. The older woman on the other hand had begun to giggle again, as if remembering an old joke. The familiar shudder ran up my spine.  
"Well, that's not all, Alice. Did you know that since he started it, he has to end it?"  
I was still confused, not knowing where she was getting at. The sudden smell of sulphur began to fill my nostrils, burning them. Lilith's voice continued, I struggled to concentrate.  
"And do you know how he has to end it?"  
I tried to break away from the weights that bound me. I didn't want to listen anymore... I didn't want to know. She began to laugh her evil, raucous laugh.  
"Killing you."  
My heart stopped, liquid fire began to fill my veins. My breath became short and quick. Claustrophobia enveloped me like a straight jacket; I felt like I was losing my mind.  
"You're lying!" I spat. "Demon's lie!"  
I wasn't sure if I was trying to convince her or myself. Even thinking for a second that Dean would harm me was ludicrous. Dean was my friend, and I was his.  
"Oh, Alice...would I lie about something like that?"  
_"Yes," _  
(No)  
_"you would."_  
She sighed, appearing in front of me again.  
"Maybe I would, maybe I wouldn't. Truth is, maybe Dean doesn't even know it yet."  
_"liar...liar..."_ I mumbled, trying to shut her voice out. I closed my eyes, the weights were releasing. My body felt so weak that I couldn't muster the strength to cry for help, let alone attempt an escape. Instead, I crumbled into a heap on the cold, crimson floor, feeling completely and utterly defeated. Everything felt numb; my body, my senses....  
"Those damn Angels... they're the liars."  
"_liar..."  
_Behind my closed eyelids, a sudden brightness occurred. It was like a glow of sunshine behind dark clouds. A flicker of white flame, salvation, freedom, _Hope_...  
_An angel..._  
"Oh my, we have visitors."


	8. Chapter 8

The 66th Seal  
by Kentcharm

A/N: Sorry I didn't update yesterday, for some reason Fanfiction isn't letting me upload new files .

Also, I'm re-adding chapter one, because I know the format was confusing, and I don't want that to affect whether people continue reading or not. So disregard that email (for those who have me on story alert!)

Thank you for reading!

* * *

Chapter 8

Rough hands pulled me up. I felt dizzy; there was so much screaming around me that for a moment I didn't know where I was. As I opened my eyes I noticed that the stone statuesque men had left their spots beside where Lilith had been and were now fighting aggressively with Dean. He moved gracefully, like a warrior. Light from the now open doors shone on his form, highlighting every move his body made. He felt so far away, and I felt the urge to help him. I scanned the dark room; I couldn't see Sam.  
"Are you alright?" a voice asked impatiently. I looked at the person who had pulled me out of the river of blood.  
It was Ruby.  
Her hand was still on my arm, and she was gesturing to the blood all over my clothes and skin.  
"I-it's not mine." I said, a little dazed. Ruby started to pull me away, her grasp tight.  
"Wait...." I said quietly, still a little scared of Sam's demon friend. I tried pulling away, looking back at the chaos behind me. Dean had taken down one of the demons, who now just lay on the ground - a rotting corpse. The other man began to raise his hand as if to send Dean flying back. My breath caught in my throat, but as soon as Dean noticed this he snapped the demons hand away and sliced his throat in one fluid motion. He was in another world; no one could touch him...  
Ruby stopped pulling at my arm, and instead left my side, disappearing into the dark. I decided to follow her, not knowing what else to do. My knees felt weak and I stumbled a bit before I could reach a steady pace.  
The darkness enveloped me, absorbing into my clothing and skin until I, too, disappeared. Everything went silent except for a familiar buzzing sound. I raised my hands in front of me as if they would show me the way. I felt my shoes hit the massacred body parts below as I passed them. I tried to walk slower in case I tripped on one; the thought of falling into the blood pit below overwhelmed me with fear. I could feel myself begin to shake, and tried not to think of the grotesque art that was scattered around me. If this wasn't hell, I didn't know what was.  
My breath became quick and shallow again as I imagined Lilith with her glowing skin pulling me deeper into the shadows. I hadn't seen her _or_ the older woman. Had they escaped?  
Suddenly a hand grabbed at me. I screamed, spinning around furiously.  
_Dean._  
I fell against his chest, wrapping my arms tightly around him. He didn't respond, just stood like the demons had. It didn't feel like he was fully there with me. I remembered the stone look on his face as he fought the demons only minutes before, and desperately wanted to bring him back to me. I felt his body stiffen; he was so far away...  
"_Dean_...I'm so glad you're here. I was so scared." I said, my words slightly muffled into his jacket.  
Slowly I felt the muscles in his back relax, his arms slid up my back carefully, finally settling at my shoulder blades. His head rested atop mine, and he breathed heavily into my hair.  
"I'm sorry we took so long..." He said. I breathed his familiar leather scent in, happy that he was back. His steady breathing calmed me, the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest a silent lullaby...  
_I'd wait an eternity for you..._  
"It's alright, I'm fine now." I said reassuringly.  
We stood there for what seemed like hours. It felt so soothing that I didn't want to let go. Unfortunately the dark clouds came back, silent reminders of all the problems in the world that we had to face. I pulled reluctantly away, looking up into Dean's now soft, focused, green eyes.  
"Where's Sam?" I asked.  
A shadow crossed over his face; back to business.  
"With Lilith."

***

We entered the store's dimly lit backroom. I was taken back at what I saw.  
Lilith sat cross-legged in a white circle of what appeared to be a large pentagram. There were other symbols and text which were written in an unrecognizable language. She sat there, nonchalantly, tapping her fingers on the cement floor. She smiled as I came in, which caused me to grab onto Dean's sleeve.  
"Don't worry, she's trapped." An emotionless voice said. Sam came out of the shadows, Ruby at his side.  
"How'd you manage to get her in there?" Dean asked suspiciously. Sam looked away shamefully.  
I guessed how.  
Dean brushed this off, moving toward the circle. Sam did also, and began to circle the imprisoned child. Lilith continued to stare at me, ignoring the boys. I felt three feet tall under her gaze, and I tried not to remember her words.  
"What are we waiting for? Let's kill the son-of-a-bitch." Dean said, his voice deepening in the way I was starting to like.  
"We should try to get some information from her first." He answered, looking back at Ruby.  
Ruby remained in the shadows, her arms crossed and her gaze cold and calculating. Lilith ignored this, her eyes still on me.  
_I'm not your toy...  
_"You can't have her." Dean said. A sudden wave of gratitude washed over me, his words reassured me. Dean would protect me.  
Lilith met Dean's eyes, her smile wavering for only a second.  
"We will in the end." She said, and began to laugh. Ruby's eyebrows knitted slightly.  
"Kill her, god damn it!" Dean ordered. Sam didn't flinch.  
"Tell us your plans Lilith!" Sam yelled at the little girl. She didn't cower, instead her grin grew wider. She looked so innocent....  
"She's not going to tell us anything, Sam." Dean said, more quietly this time. Sam's rage was building, which further amused Lilith.  
"Alice...why don't you tell your friends the secret I told you?"  
All four pairs of eyes were on me now, my blood heated at the sudden attention. I felt frozen in place, trapped. Lilith's words echoed in my head, much like her screams had.  
_Did you know that since he started it, he has to end it?_  
Dean's eyes burrowed into mine, curiosity consumed them. There was no way that what she had said was true. Demons lie all of the time....  
_And do you know how he has to end it?  
_No...I couldn't tell him. I couldn't tell any of them. If I did they might send me away, they wouldn't think I was safe with them anymore. Dean might start avoiding me, and I wouldn't be able to laugh with Sam...  
_Killing you.  
_"Kill her, Sam!" I said, "She's trying to confuse us! Don't let her play with you!"  
I couldn't believe I had lied. But Sam seemed to believe me, because within seconds he threw what looked like water onto the smiling girls face. A horrendous scream ensued, Lilith cringed and huddled into herself, the muscles of her arms and neck flexing rapidly. The screeching seemed to come into my body and burn it. A sweet sort of satisfaction filled me as her screams filled the room, bouncing off the four surrounding walls and somewhat getting louder and louder. It got to the point where I thought my ears were going to bleed, and I had the sudden urge to cover them. It got worse as the screaming died down, morphing into childish giggles.  
"Oh, Sam. Don't you think you're brother is better suited for torture? He sure was in hell, I hear..."  
I noticed Dean's jaw flex and his gaze falter. It scared me how easily the little girls words affected us. She was right about one thing...she knew our weaknesses, and we didn't know hers.  
Sam looked at his brother, concerned. The girl's laughs continued, enjoyment in watching  
Sam threw the rest of the water, which now I presumed to be _holy_, onto her. More screams broke out, tearing the room to shreds. I didn't look at her though, I was memorized by Dean. He wasn't paying much attention either, but instead looked away, very far away, just like Sam did when we rode in the car. He was slipping away again...  
Before I knew it, I grabbed his hand in reassurance. He looked at me startled, breaking away from his previous encasement. I saw something flicker behind his eyes, and I tightened my hand around his. One side of his mouth moved upwards, as if in a smile, but vanished as soon as it appeared. I wanted to tell him that it would be alright, everything would be fine, but in truth, I didn't know if it would be.  
The screams broke into laughter again, which further irritated Sam.  
"Something's not right." Ruby's voice broke out. Her voice, velvety as ever, confirmed my prior doubts. Something _really _wasn't right.  
The blonde girl continued to laugh from her crouched position on the ground. Slowly her head lifted, her eyes closed and covered by her bloody tresses. Her skin appeared blotchy and red, evidence of the acidic-like water. It was a grotesque sight.  
"Ding ding ding!" She sang. "Took you long enough." Her lips curved into a snear, and her eyes slowly began to open. I was frightened by the piercing black orbs that seemed to suck the air out of the room.  
My heart beat faster, back to its usual light speed pace. I knew it... I just _knew_ it...  
"What is it?" Sam asked, uncertainty plastered over his face.  
The other woman...I should have known.  
"What is it?!" Sam repeated.  
Her childish manner...the horrendous giggling...  
"She's...not Lilith."

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

The 66th Seal  
by Kentcharm

* * *

Chapter 9

I sat on the rusted pick-up truck that sat in front of the gas station. I stared away into the darkness, faintly aware that there were no stars out. The only light came from the crescent

moon above, dozing in and out from behind the heavy clouds that swam across it. The weather was odd because even though there didn't seem to be much wind, the sky moved at an

alarming pace. I felt myself become memorized by its swift, graceful movements, and faintly imagined that a war must be raging within the skies crevices.

I laughed absently, afraid that if I didn't I would break down in tears. I attempted to calm my emotions; amusing myself by dragging my feet through the gravel, finding solace in the

steady burrowing sound it made.

I tried to ignore the screaming that came from within the store by tapping my fingers against the hood of the truck. The hollow sound it made didn't fully mask the cries that reached me

and pierced my soul.

"_Come on, Alice._" I thought, "_Be a man_."

I breathed in heavily as a cool breeze brushed my face, chilling the exposed skin of my neck and shoulders. It was somewhat refreshing, and successfully managed to block out the

wailing; if only for a moment.

A loud banging sound gathered my attention, immediately making my body tense. I looked up quickly, desperate for news. It was Dean.

"Hey Dean." I said, more relaxed now that I wasn't alone. I looked him over, paying attention to his body movements in attempt to read his mood. He appeared troubled. His shoulders

were tense and he hid his face.

I moved further to the side of the truck, giving him space. He leaned against the hood, his body stiff. The screaming continued. There was a comfortable silence between us as we

reflected on our own thoughts. I knew that I should tell him what the demon said about the last seal; Dean was my friend after all. I opened my mouth as if to say something, but shut

it as I thought of the consequences. If Dean thought he was a danger to me, then there was a possibility that I would never see him or Sam ever again. I pondered over her words

again.

A new realization hit me; _what if Dean knew? _What if he knew what his supposed "obligation" was? I banished the thought immediately.

"Ally, what did she tell you?"

I jumped slightly by the sudden break of silence. Dean's words registered slowly in my mind, soaking into my already consumed thoughts.

"Nothing." I answered, perhaps too eager in my words. "She was lying, Dean."

He looked at me then, searching my eyes, trying to believe; I wasn't sure if he did or not. As the silence became imminent again, I took my opportunity to change the subject.

"So, why'd you come out?"

He looked away again, folding his arms against his chest. He seemed to be lost in thought. I opened my mouth to ask again, but his voice interrupted me.

"I had to get out of there."

I looked at my shoes, noticing that the screaming was getting significantly quieter.

"Oh." I said, not wanting to bombard him with the million questions I wanted to ask him. He continued.

"You heard her-_it_, back there right?" he asked, his eyes moving over everything in sight, excluding me. He seemed frightened, of what I knew not.

I nodded. I had heard everything, even if it didn't make much sense.

"Well, what she said was true." He said. I didn't much like this. I didn't want _anything _she has said to be true.

"When I was in hell..." His words lingered in the midnight air, filled with hidden pain. "...I tried as long as I could...but eventually I couldn't take it anymore. They just kept ripping me

apart..." His voice cracked, and I desperately wanted to see his face. I wasn't used to seeing him this vulnerable...torn...weak.

I felt my eyes start to water as I thought of the ordeal he had to go through. My hands tingled; I wanted to touch him, comfort him, yet something stopped me. What had _they _done to

him? Dean continued.

"A demon- _Alastair_- gave me the choice...to continue on like I was, or start the torture myself." He looked at me then, and I was afraid of what I saw. The fire was back in his eyes; fury,

rage, fear and shame all mixed together. I moved my hand slowly to where his was, hesitant of his reaction. I wanted to console him, make him forget...

"I did it."

I didn't say anything, lost for words. Sam, Bobby, nobody mentioned this to me before. Dean's eyes burrowed into mine, searching them. He wanted to know if I was scared, if I thought

of him differently. I tried to appear unabashed; calm. For a moment Dean seemed hesitant to go on, but my patient silence solicited him.

"And...I liked it. Finally being the one to deliver it, rather than receive it."

I suddenly remembered the dream I had the night before as I lay cosily in Dean's warm arms. The chains, the girl, the dark figure with the perverted voice; all of it enveloped as quick

and as piercing as the screams had been. My hand curved into a fist, knuckles turning white. I slowly brought it back to my lap, a sudden fear of Dean bombarding me. I had never

thought him capable of such things.

Dean caught the fear in my eyes, and suddenly his face melted; the fire burning out. He brought out his hand to touch me, and without thinking I flinched. Hurt instantly showed on his

face.

"Alice, I-" He started, but was cut off as Sam and Ruby walked briskly out of the gas station. I hadn't noticed that it had become so quiet. They had finished with her.

Dean's hand receded, and he straightened out. I studied his face, watching the mask come on; stone. He coughed, clearing his throat.

"Well? Did you get anything out of her?"

Sam nodded his head, making his to Ruby's car. Ruby kept pace beside him, seeming to be just in that same rush as he was.

"Well?" Dean asked, chasing his brother. I got off the hood of the pick-up, following the brothers, once again taking the role as the "carry-along".

"Ruby and I are going to Connecticut."

Connecticut? That's where I lived...

"What? Alone? Why?" Dean asked, getting impatient with his brother. Sam stopped in his tracks, turning to face Dean and I. Ruby's hand rested on his arm, supportive. Faint feelings of

resentment overwhelmed me, and I noticed that Sam was averting my gaze.

"She said...that they were planning to use someone close to Alice to get her."  
_  
Hayley..._

"What?" I asked, shocked. It felt like someone had reached down my throat and yanked my heart out; and yet deep down I knew it would always come down to this, using my loved

ones against me. "Let me come with you! Hayley, her family..." I started, but Sam shook his head.

"No. You'd be falling right into Lilith's trap. As far as she knows, her faithful servant didn't open her mouth."

Dean nodded in agreement. I was a stubborn girl, though.

"No, she doesn't even know who you are. She'll think you're crazy, spouting stuff about demons and what not! Let me come..."

"No Alice! You have to stay with Dean; hopefully the demons won't even notice I'm gone; I'm sure they're going to keep a low profile now that they know we know they're watching us."

Dean spoke, his voice trying to be reasonable.

"How do you know she wasn't lying?"

Sam looked at his brother, his eyes like ice. Cold, foreboding, distant.

"She begged for death."

Never before had I felt fearful of Sam. I had never once thought of him as dangerous, scary, or cruel. But as he said those words, I felt the genuine fear; the possibility that maybe he __

was capable of using his powers for evil. I tried to set my mind off it, concentrating on my fear for Hayley's safety. I would never forgive myself if she got hurt.

Dean seemed assured, nodding. He appeared tired; worn out.

"When will you be back?"

"As soon as we make sure Alice's friend is okay. I'll keep in touch." He said, and continued on his way with Ruby.

Dean and I stood together in silence for a long time, watching as they left. I felt tormented by my thoughts, my worries and feelings. Everything was being confounded and was starting

to make me dizzy. The sky still danced, furious in its rhythm. I felt like I was going to faint.

"Alice, come on." Dean said. I startled at his voice.

He looked at me briefly, concern in his eyes, and then started down the gravel road. I reluctantly followed, ashamed that I couldn't be of more use.

***

As I lay on the motel bed, I wrapped my arms tightly around my body, feeling the need to hold myself together. I felt like I was losing my mind. Next to the Winchesters I felt completely

inadequate, and in theory, I was. I always needed _their_ protection; they always had to look after _me_. I wanted to be able to take care of myself, to take care of them. God knew they

needed it more than me.

As the darkness enveloped me, I felt myself crave human contact. I felt so detached and alone, even with Dean in the bed next to mine. I felt tempted to turn and see if he was still

awake; I didn't want to be left with my thoughts.  
_  
And...I liked it._

I was scared for Dean; I could feel the desperation, despair and pain all around him. It was like I was specially tuned in to his emotions, his dreams and his desires. I knew that he

longed for stability, warmth and love, and yet at the same time I could sense his darker side too. His confession earlier had taken me off guard, yet I was not completely surprised. I

wanted to console him; nurture his wounded soul. I wanted to hold him...

My thoughts inevitably led to Hayley. I didn't want her to see or feel the things I had; the blood, the bodies, the smell. I wanted to be there with her, explain why I had disappeared,

where I had been, and what was going on. I could just imagine Sam barging in the diner, dragging her out. For all I knew, she would suspect him as being my kidnapper; she had

thought him rather sketchy the last time she saw him.

Then the thought occurred to me; _what if Sam was too late? What if the demons got her already?_

Terror found itself in my heart again, making my hands shake and breath short. My throat tightened, making it hard to breathe.  
_  
What if Lilith got her, and cut her up in little pieces like the people from the gas station? What if she strung her family up by their intestines, displaying them like an exhibit? An inside joke for_

her and her followers to laugh at?  
  
My eyes felt wet, and I gasped for breath. I tried to restrain myself, in fear of disturbing Dean. It felt like the darkness was closing in; suffocating me.

Suddenly the bed groaned under newly added weight. I stiffened, at first thinking it to be a demon, yet relaxing as Dean's manly smell encased my senses. His arms wrapped around my

waist, pulling me to him; I let him, relishing in the human contact. His chest, bare, warmed my cold skin, as well as my heart. I could feel his steady heartbeat, and as I memorized its

rhythmic pattern it helped calm my own. How could he be so nice to me?

"It will be alright, Ally. You can trust Sam; he'll get to her in time." Dean assured, his voice just above a whisper. I wrapped my arms around his, finding comfort in the feel of his skin. I

savoured the sensation for a long moment; for once in a long time I felt completely safe...

"Dean?"

"Hmm?" He murmured, half asleep.

"Thank you."

* * *

Okay, so I double spaced it as requested by a reader. Do you guys like it this way? Should I continue to double space?  
And, well, how did you like the chapter?  
:)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: SORRY! I'm really sorry it took so long to update, for some reason fanfiction wouldn't let me upload any of my stuff? And then I got busy with midterms. Pretty sure I failed my  
physics exam...but I can't help it, I'm obsessed with my story! :( Oh, and I'm sorry if it's 'choppy', I don't mean it to be that way! I tried to make less paragraph breaks and dialogue for this chapter to limit this.

* * *

Chapter 10

My eyes slowly opened, struggling to adjust against the harsh sunlight. The first thing I saw was Dean's face, incredibly soft and serene. He was still asleep, and I took the opportunity

to unabashedly soak in his gorgeousness. His soft lips were parted slightly, and his nose twitched a little as he breathed in deeply. I smiled widely, overwhelmed by his cuteness. It was

a treat, seeing him so peaceful. Usually his face would show nothing but concern, anguish, foreboding, or worse – the stone mask.

His arm rest against my waist; limp. Very gently I brought my hand there, enjoying the feel of his skin on mine. My eyes roamed his bare chest, relishing in the sweet glow of his skin. I

gaped, stopping as I saw the hand print that marked his right shoulder. It looked painful, like someone had put a hot iron to it. I briefly wondered what an angel looked like in its true

form, but from what Sam had told me that was impossible; _your eyes would burn right out of their sockets._ I thought of Castiel, wishing I could meet him; he had saved Dean, after all.

Hesitantly I brought my hand to it, almost scared that it would burn me. As my small fingers outlined his tortured flesh, I was surprised to find that it actually felt cooler than the rest of

his body. I pressed down harder; fascinated.

Suddenly Dean let out a sigh; I froze. After a few moments I was assured that Dean was still asleep, and willed my hand to continue. Calmly I let my fingers graze his collar bone,

delighting in every inch of bronze. The blood rushed to my face as I realized how intimate we were, and still I had the urge to bring him closer. I brought my hand up his neck and to his

face, slowly allowing my fingertips to graze his cheekbones. His jaw flexed slightly under my touch, making me want to touch him even more. Overcome by desire, I inched my face closer

to his.

_Slowly..._

I closed my eyes, my heart swelling with emotion.

_Dean..._

"Alice?"

My eyes shot open, Dean's green eyes stared back; confused.

I quickly withdrew my hand and rolled onto my back, averting my gaze to the ceiling. I felt my face get hotter and hotter until I thought I was going to die.

"I-I-" I stammered, "Sorry."

I tried to look at anything except him, the walls, the ceiling, the blankets...

I could feel him staring at me, his gaze burning a hole in my skull.

_What was I doing?  
_

"I think...I'm going to try to call Sam. See what he's up to..." Dean said. I nodded, closing my eyes tightly. A tension filled the room, seeping through the walls, dripping from the ceiling,

swallowing me whole. I felt him get off the bed, and my heart sank a little as he did so. I peeked from behind my eyelashes, watching as he put on a shirt and grabbed his cell phone

from the table. Once he left the motel room I let out an exasperated sigh.

_"What the hell were you thinking?" _ I thought, bringing my hands to my hot face.

Why had I tried to kiss him? What did this mean? Did I like Dean?

I startled at my self-realization. My eyes widened, my mouth parting slightly.

_"Oh my God."_ I thought, "_I like Dean._"

How, amongst all of this chaos, torture and death, had I managed to let myself fall for Dean?

Of course the way one side of his mouth would raise when he smiled was kind of cute..., and he was pretty adorable when he growled when he was mad or concerned...

But Dean was such a major risk! All of his life he had fought all of the evil things in the world, and on top of that the loss he had experienced in his life was staggering. There was no

doubt that he had a dark side, and I wasn't sure how dark that side was...

Plus, he flirted with anything on two legs. He called complete strangers "sweet-heart" and "doll", excluding me. He had never called me _any_ of those pet names...

That was it; Dean didn't like me at all. He thought of me just as a friend, or worse- a sister.

_"Great Alice, just great. Do you always have to be the victim of one sided love?"  
_

I squealed in frustration.

"_Alice, Hayley is in trouble. Stop letting your non-existent love life distract you."_ I thought, and with that I shut up.

Just then, Dean came back into the room. I sat up, forcing myself to look into his eyes. He appeared troubled, setting his phone back on the table. He shrugged his shoulders, trying to

be nonchalant, yet failing terribly.

"No answer. No calls."

***

Dean and I went the whole day barely speaking a word to each other. In a way I was grateful, and on the other hand it was torture. Dean loafed around the motel room, finding ways

to busy his hands. He spent the entire morning working on his car, and then once it got dark he came back in, sat on his bed, and sorted through his guns; cleaning and reloading them.

As he did this I sat on my own bed with my legs to my chest. I was pretending to watch the television, unsure of what to say to Dean. He was obviously worried about his brother, who

hadn't yet called. I wanted to assure him that things would be okay, yet I was worried too. I knew how he felt; knowing that a loved one was in trouble and yet you couldn't do

anything about it. I too felt worthless; just sitting here watching _I Love Lucy_ re-runs until my eyes glazed over. In fact, I'm sure both Dean and I would agree that we'd rather be with

Sam and Ruby, (well, maybe not Ruby), fighting.

I discreetly peered over at him. He was still entranced in his work, yet I got the feeling he was a little _too _focused. A gnawing at my stomach told me he was avoiding me; breaking my

wall of ignorance. I had somehow managed to fool myself into thinking that maybe, just _maybe_, he had either forgotten about the incident from the morning or hadn't even noticed it at

all. Of course it made sense that he felt awkward around me now, how else would someone react to a situation like ours?

If only he wasn't so nice to me, then maybe I wouldn't have liked him in the first place. When Dean showed affection it was like witnessing a miracle. This made it all the more difficult to

resist him because every touch, every smile and every stare made you feel special.

Dean was a very complicated person. At first glance, he was simply sex on legs. Everything about him lured you in; his cute smile, his rough voice, and especially his fiery gaze. He was a

bad boy; rough around the edges and cloaked by mystery. Any one of these things would make a woman's chest tingle and heart swell. Girls craved to break down that stony exterior

and discover the softness and vulnerability within. Deep down, Dean was just a boy who wanted the simple things in life; friends, family, love...

But what they didn't know was that behind the stone mask, something else was also waiting to be discovered. When Dean confessed to me about his ordeal in hell and how he had

'taken up the torture', I had caught a glimpse of it. In actuality, Dean was more wounded and troubled than anyone I had ever known. He was tortured by his past, forever unforgiving

of his actions. There was a darkness within him, a small little monster that tore at his insides and brought him deeper and deeper into the night.

"Dean?" I called. He woke out of his trance, looking at me for what seemed like the first time in ages.

"Yes?" he answered, his face somewhat distant; cautious.

"What do we do if he doesn't call?" I asked, trying to hide the concern in my voice. Dean sighed, returning to his guns.

"I don't know." He said, sounding almost defeated. I averted my gaze back to the T.V.; thinking. After a moment I interrupted Dean again.

"Dean?"

He looked back up.

"I think that...if he doesn't call or answer his phone by tomorrow, we should go after him and check things out."

Dean just stared, contemplating my proposition before he answered.

"Okay."

***

When morning came and there was still no phone call, I insisted that we leave. At first Dean was hesitant; he had a lot of faith in his brother.

"Dean, something could have gone wrong. I don't want to just sit here and wait."

Dean had nodded his head numbly; silent. I knew that he was struggling to not fear the worst. We packed, Dean reluctantly and I hastily. By noon we were on the road, the motel

fading away behind us.

The air was dead and thick; weighing down my lungs as dread and apprehension settled itself in my stomach. Dean drove fast, his eyes never leaving the road. Looking at him made me

anxious so I soaked in the passing scenery instead. I rest my head against the window, relishing in its coolness and watching as the shadowed trees blended together, one silk sheet

of viridian. The sky was cloudless and yet there were no signs of life; birds, planes; just absence. I could hear nothing but the sound of my beating heart.

My eyelids began to feel heavy, willing me to close them. I struggled against the fatigue, wanting, _needing_ to remain conscious. Dean. _Dean...  
_

_"Dean, you have to do it."  
_

_My nostrils stung, the overwhelming smell of tree rot and mud filling them. There was something else too...blood. It was dark and dank, thick and musky. There was little oxygen, slowly _

_suffocating me; I wanted to choke. Dean was in front of me, his eyes furious and rebellious; fighting against something within him. He shook his head violently at my words, his eyes beginning _

_to water. I wanted to kiss away those tears.  
_

_"Dean, you remember what Cas said! Please..." I begged.  
_

_His shoulders sunk, defeated. He began to weep. It killed me to see him this way, but there was nothing I could do; it was the only way. I took his hands in mine, the knife within them smiled; _

_gleeful. I willed him to look at me.  
_

_He cried. "Alice...Alice..." he moaned in devastation, shaking his head back and forth slowly. I tightened the blade in his hand, securing it. It shone as if on fire, promising blind, piercing pain. My _

_fingers laced within Dean's, urging, pleading. He had to do it before I had time to change my mind. I brought my body closer to his, the crux of the blade digging into my flesh. I let my forehead _

_rest against Dean's, closing my eyes and breathing him in. He was feverish; hot. I gently kissed his lips, wishing beyond anything else that I could make it easier for him. Why did it have to be _

_this way?  
_

_"Alice...Alice..."  
_

_"_Alice?"

I jerked awake, slight horror still masking my face. It was eerily dark, and I thrust my hands out to steady myself. They met a cold surface; a dashboard. I was still in Dean's Impala.

"Are you alright?" Dean asked. I looked over to him, relieved to see he wasn't crying. My dream was still fresh in my head, blurring into reality. The horrid smell of decay was still

imprinted in my memory, continuing to scar my lungs. Dean looked anxious; concerned. His words slowly registered in my head, I nodded.

"It's nothing, just a nightmare."

Dean frowned. He was just _too _familiar with nightmares. He lived one for forty years didn't he? Slowly he brought a hand to my arm, trying to reassure me. He smiled a little, and it

warmed my stomach. The awkwardness of the morning was gone, perhaps even forgotten. I smiled back, slightly relieved. I breathed in slowly, taking in my surroundings. We had

stopped driving; I could hear the sound of the engine cooling. My eyes still struggled to adjust in the darkness, yet as I saw familiar trees and houses, I knew where we were.

"We're here." I said, bluntly. "That was quick."Dean grunted.

"You slept the entire time." He said, curiosity still lingering in his eyes. I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly, not wanting to go into details of my dream. I hated my dreams, they were

always so _real, _the smells, the emotions, the _pain_.

Past Dean I could see the outline of a two story house- _Hayley's._ There were no lights on; it instead just sat there basking in the shadows. Its front door was framed by two medium

sized bushes; its leaves were a ravishing green, heavily contrasting the white paint job Hayley's father had done the summer before.

Dean's door opened; he was getting out. I looked at him, apprehension plastered over my face. He frowned slightly.

"Come on, Ally. We've got to check it out."

I reluctantly followed him, sliding over the seat and taking his hand as he lent it. He pulled me up, his grip firm and strong; _a man's._ My heart sped up a bit, and I kicked myself mentally

at the thought.

We walked up to the house, each step feeling like a mile. "_Please," _I thought, "_please let Hayley be okay." _ The front door, honey stained pine, came closer and closer. I tried not to let my

imagination run wild, yet couldn't help remembering the torn and decaying bodies from the gas station. I shut my eyes, absently grabbing at Dean's coat sleeve. He didn't look it, but I

knew he was dreading it too. What if Lilith got her? What would we find within these walls?

Before I knew it we were in front of the door. I looked at Dean, not sure of what to do. I watched as he put his ear to the door, listening.

"I can't hear anything." He said. "Maybe they're sleeping?"

_Yeah, or maybe they're dead.  
_

A ghostly whistle of wind broke the silence, making the situation more eerie. My stomach lurched, my face heating up. Slowly I brought my right hand up to the door, formed a fist, and

then tapped briskly on the hard wood. A few moments passed; there was nothing. I brought my hand up again, ready to knock a second time, but before I could a light went on from

the living room. I gasped. My heart filled with relief, and then just as quickly filled with worry.

I looked at Dean.

"Wait, what am I going to say?" I asked. Dean looked just as shocked as I was; perhaps we had both expected the worst more than we should have. He shrugged his shoulders, and I

groaned, beginning to panic. My hands shook, and I darted my head around anxious to find a solution. An idea came to mind.

"Hide!" I whispered harshly at Dean. I could hear steps coming from inside the house, getting louder as they came to the front door.

"What?" He asked, dumbfounded.

"How am I supposed to explain _you_, let alone my mysterious disappearance?" I spat, becoming more and more flustered. Dean looked around expectantly, but I could hear the front

door begin to open; in the corner of my eye I saw the knob turn. I spun around to Dean, and with one fluid motion, pushed him into the bushes. He stumbled backwards, disappearing

into the emerald green leaves. I quickly turned to face the door, straightening myself out. White light blinded me for a moment, and then the slender petite figure of Hayley came to

vision. She was rubbing her eyes, half asleep. Once she opened them, her jaw dropped. I couldn't help but smile, I had missed her so much.

"Ally Bear?" she asked incredulously, taking a step forward. I stood still, almost numb. She wasn't hurt, she wasn't dead, _she was here_. Before I knew it she enveloped me in a huge

hug, squeezing the air from my lungs. She let out a mixture of laughs and sobs, her tears trailing down my neck.

"I thought you were dead! Where were you? Why didn't you call? My parents and I even made flyers!" She rambled. I let my arms wrap around her, overwhelmed with relief, happiness,

and nervousness.

"I-I- uh..." I started, not really sure what to say.

Just then the bushes began to move, and a sputtering could be heard.

_Damnit Dean!  
_

Hayley jumped away, almost letting out a scream as Dean emerged from the bushes. I touched her arm lightly, glaring evilly at Dean as he patted off dirt from his pants. He gave me a

look of equal annoyance.

"It's a rapist, Alice! Run inside!"

"Hey-" Dean started, his hands raised in front of him in innocence. Hayley moved towards him, her fists raising as if trying to protect me."_Oh no." _I thought.

"Hayley! No...he's with me!" I said with urgency. She looked to me, questioning.

"Who is he?" she asked.

My brain scattered, I couldn't think. _Shit, shit, shit.  
_

"Uh...he's my..." I started, trying to think of something, _anything._ Hayley's eyes burrowed into mine, searching and prodding.

"He's my _fiancé."_

* * *

_  
Hmm... just wondering, what are your opinions on Ruby (in general)?_


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Longer chapter, took awhile to update because my Microsoft Word stopped working! I couldn't even copy and paste my story into anything else, the program locked it all up! Turns out I bought this computer without knowing that the Microsoft products were all trial! So I thought I would have to buy it (150 bucks!), but luckily my sister got me a pirated version (shh, don't tell!). I'm beginning to wish I had a Mac...

Chapter 11

* * *

Hayley's mouth dropped open, her eyes bulging. It took me a second to realize what I had said, and when I did, I had to physically stop myself from clawing my own eyes out. Could I

have dug the hole any deeper than this? Dean was just as shocked as Hayley, and as she peered over at him, (he's not a rapist?) she saw him in a new light. Dean tried to act

apathetic, as if '_yes, of course were engaged. Who would have thought otherwise?'. _After a few _tense _moments, Hayley took down her defense, replacing it with anger and curiousness. Her

eyes stared me down like daggers, unwavering.

"So let me get this straight, you disappeared for _days_ without any calls whatsoever, and now you come back and tell me that you're _engaged_ to some guy I've never even _met_ before?"

I looked to Dean for help, yet all he contributed was a silent snicker. He enjoyed this didn't he?

"Okay Hayley, I know you're angry..." I started, trying to add a soothing tone in my voice. Hayley interrupted with a mild chuckle.

"Angry only _begins _to describe what I'm feeling right now. Try betrayed, cheated, deceived..." she continued to list her feelings, and I was quite sure all of them meant the same thing...

"Yes_, yes_, I know okay? But Dean and I just got so caught up in... _each other_..." Both Hayley's and Dean's eyebrows rose, "...that we lost track of time. Isn't that right Dean?" I asked,

somewhat horrified by the words that were coming out of my mouth; I didn't do well under pressure. Dean caught on fast; I supposed he and Sam had plenty of experience in the _art of _

_acting_ during their '_jobs'. _He stepped beside me, snaking an arm around my waist and smiling briskly, "Of course it is. It's all my fault, really; I rarely let her leave the bedroom."

Hayley's cheeks reddened; as did mine. My heart stopped in my chest, and I felt like I was being swallowed into a wormhole. If Hayley hadn't been right in front of me at that moment, I

would have literally torn Dean to shreds. I couldn't believe that he was purposely making the situation even more awkward than it already was, and yet at the same time I knew that

Hayley was a hopeless romantic; thus there was a good chance she would eat up our story like icing on a cake.

"Oh...well..." Hayley began, still somewhat cautious, "I guess I can understand then..." her eyes shifted around the yard hesitantly before settling on mine. Perhaps she was trying not

to imagine this _ape_ and I in a compromising situation.

"Well, we thought you been _kidnapped_ or something, so we called the police and everything...my parents even put up '_missing_' signs." I smiled a little, somewhat happy knowing that

she and her parents had been concerned about me.

"Dean, is it?" Hayley asked, all anger lost from her face and voice. She was always weird in that way; easily distracted. Dean stretched out his hand, his other still at my waist.

"Yes, Dean Winchester." Hayley took it, smiling a little as she looked him over again. He did have an odd charm...

"Well, why don't you guys come in?" she asked, leaning against the door frame and gesturing us inside. My immediate thought was 'her parents will crucify me', but Hayley read my

mind.

"Don't worry, the folks are asleep."

I looked up at Dean, and he looked down at me. He smiled; I knew that he was relieved that Hayley was alright, who knows what state I would be in if the outcome had been different.

His arm was still wrapped gingerly around me, and for a moment I couldn't help but indulge in the idea of us as a _real _couple. I knew that he was just acting, but I couldn't control my

own feelings; I just hoped he wouldn't notice.

"Well, we have some things to do..." I started, wishing I could catch up with Hayley more. But the truth was, if Hayley was alright, where was Sam? On top of that there was still the

potential threat that demons were still tracking us...

"Oh come on, Alice! Just for a little while..." Hayley whined, her hands clasped together under her chin. "Pleeease. I have wine to celebrate?"

"We can spare a few minutes of our time, can't we?" Dean said. I was surprised; I had thought that he wouldn't have wanted to waste any time. I wanted to catch up with Hayley, but

at the same time Sam was still '_missing_'. What if something had happened to him and he was hurt? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to him...

Hayley backed away into the house, luring us with beckoning gestures. Dean unlaced his arm from my waist, instead taking my hand and pulling me forward. His hand was large and

warm; all that I had imagined it to be. It was hard to believe that those hands had tortured countless souls. I followed him into the house, staring at our entwined fingers. _Stop _

_being so nice, Dean. You're making it so hard for me to resist you...  
_

We made our way into Hayley's living room and sat on the familiar cream-colored couch as she went into the kitchen to get wine, (_probably not a good idea for me, I was inevitably a _

_lightweight)_. The couch stood across from an identical armchair and was divided by a glass coffee table, overall reminding me of a therapist's office. I supposed that Hayley _would_ in fact

be analyzing us shortly.

"Winchester. Never heard of you before...when exactly did you guys meet?" she asked quizzically as she re-entered the living room, handing Dean and I each our own glass of red

wine. I didn't know how to answer her question truthfully without sounding like a naive little twat. Honestly, who knows a guy for a few days and then decides to get married? And

Hayley knew me well enough to know that I wasn't _that_ spontaneous, heck; I was as spontaneous as a cardboard box.

"Well it was...five days ago...at the Diner." I said, trying to sneak some part of the truth in my story.

"But you disappeared that same day! Was it...love at first sight?" Hayley asked, her eyes lighting up and a smile plastered over her face. "_Hayley, you are making this way too easy" _I

thought, almost laughing. I felt myself relax more, eased by the smooth way things were going. If her parents had been awake then it would have been a totally different situation; the

end result would probably situate Dean in a hospital somewhere and me shipped off to a juvenile home for delinquents, (make that an all-girls home for juvenile delinquents). I looked

at Dean; an amused smile was still discernible on his face. I was mildly surprised to find that his warm hand still enfolded mine; for some reason I felt that he would have found this

_facade_ troublesome, and yet he appeared to be having a good time. "_It's amusing for him to watch me squirm." _I concluded, somewhat peeved.

"Uh...yeah, something like that." I answered, blushing a bit. I downed my drink quickly, hoping that it would calm my nerves. Hayley didn't catch on to my awkwardness, and instead

went off into her own world, cooing like a bird.

"_oooh,_ how romantic!" she said, sipping on her own drink. Her eyes glazed over as she began to imagine her own whimsical romances. I took the opportunity to elbow Dean in his side.

He looked down at me with amusement, and I responded with a vicious glare. In all my years I had never once lied to Hayley, and now, in this room, it was all I could do. I felt like

I was cheating her, throwing everything she had ever given me back in her face; friendship, loyalty, trust. I removed my hand from Dean's, leaned forward and set my empty wine glass

on the coffee table. It made an abrupt _cling_ that woke Hayley from her daze.

"Hayley, we really ought to be going..." I said, straightening my back and beginning to stand up.

"What? But you just got here!" she cried, genuine sadness notable in her voice. A wave of guilt washed over me, _what kind of friend was I? _Dean's hand gently grabbed my shoulder and

pulled me back down to the couch. He stood up. "Alice is right, we have some business to attend to."

"_Thank you_" I thought, but then once again he threw me in front of the bus.

"I'll just go out and start the car, maybe circle the block a few times. I know Alice has been really eager to see you, so I'll let you two catch up for awhile." He smiled sweetly at Hayley,

and she literally appeared to melt.

"Of course, that's very kind of you." She said. '_Oh god,' _I thought,' _now she'll want all the dirty details.'_

Dean straightened his jacket and turned to me, his smile replaced with a curious look that I couldn't quite read. I tried to radiate my anger in waves, in hopes to scare him witless.

Instead he leaned down towards me, coming closer and closer, making my heart speed up until it echoed the rhythmic (and almost frantic) sound of a horse's hooves on cement. He

placed a soft kiss on my cheek, our lips only centimetres apart. They were soft and warm, just like his hand had been, and overwhelmingly contrasted my cold skin. It was like a spark of

flame amidst an icy storm, providing much needed warmth. My excitement shocked me and almost made me feel ashamed. _He's acting, Alice. It's just acting. Don't show him that you want _

_it._ During these fleeting moments my previous irritation and anger dissipated, and instead I fought for self control. If I let my feelings show again like I did that morning, he would know

for sure. And if he knew he would pull away. _Don't pull away...  
_

His lips, devastatingly warm, left my cool cheek. My eyes fluttered open; _I hadn't even realized they closed. _"Don't keep me waiting too long." He said, a devilish grin on his face. I felt

numb; frozen. All I could do was nod absently. He walked away, and yet appeared to float. _It's just the wine. _I noticed that Hayley looked almost astounded, as if she was going into

sappy-romance lovey-dovey overload. I heard the front door open and close, leaving us in silence. I noticed that Dean had left his own wine on the table, untouched. I reached for it,

swallowed it down like water, then set it back down. This was really getting to be too much for me, it was like I was clinging to a raft in the middle of the Pacific; if I let go, an uncertain

doom awaited. The silence continued for a few moments, tense and yet at the same time peaceful.

"Your fiancé?" Hayley spat incredulously as if she was waiting to say it our entire visit. "It's safe now, Alice. You can tell me the truth." Her eager eyes were filled with excitement and

curiosity, peeking over my shoulder as if to make sure Dean had indeed left. I smiled, her quirky humor woke something in me, making me calm, (or maybe it was just the wine again). I

hadn't realized I had missed her so much.

My gut flopped at her choice of words. _The truth_. I thought it over. The idea that Dean and I were engaged seemed more truthful than a hoard of blood-thirsty demons running amuck,

eager to make me their sacrifice.

(We want your blood! We want your _BLOOD!_ )

A shiver ran up my spine, making the muscles of my back convulse as if submerged in ice water. I tried to hide the trembling of my arms and hands by crossing them against my chest.

"Hayley, that _is_ the truth." I said, trying my utmost to sound convincing.

"Are you sure? Blink twice if you're his hostage!" Hayley whispered enthusiastically. I rolled my eyes, "_What have I gotten myself into?"_ I thought, mentally kicking myself.

"Hayley, I'm sure."

She thought about this for a moment; I could practically see the gears turning in her skull. I prayed that she would believe me, because the truth, _the real truth_, would scare her

senseless, (that or she would have me committed). For a moment I thought she had caught on; her face turned grim, knowledgeable. Then she smiled.

"He's good in bed, isn't he? Alice that is NOT a good reason to marry someone! Important and necessary, but not..." she started, yet I interrupted with an anguished sigh.

"_Hayley!" _ She stopped, a bemusement look on her face. The atmosphere had become so light, and yet so foreign at the same time, that I had the sudden urge to giggle.

"I didn't accept his _proposal_ because of....that. I love him, that's all." I set my gaze to the cream colored cushions of the couch. Somewhere deep down I felt like someone had turned

on the lights, showing me the truth once again. I was shocked somehow, but also giddy and shy at the same time. When I looked back up, I saw Hayley's familiar bright eyes analyzing

me; astonished. Her mouth dropped, her hands fluttering to her face.

"Oh my god...you DO love him. For awhile there I thought it might have all been just a joke" She said, a little too loudly. I heard a cough from upstairs and the creak of bed springs. No

way did I want to confront Hayley's parents at this late hour. Who knew what they would say after my mysterious disappearance.

Hayley lowered her voice, yet not the dramatics. She squirmed around in her seat, squealing.

"I can't believe it! I just can't!"

_"Oh yes she can" _I thought, smiling widely. Hayley's excitement was beginning to rub off on me, and I had to remind myself that all of this was just for Hayley's safety. And even though I

knew this, I couldn't help myself from somehow wishing that it _wasn't_ a lie ; wishing that I actually _was_ engaged to a handsome man by the name of Dean Winchester. I forcefully, yet

reluctantly, brought myself to reality.

"So, how did it all go down? Meeting him and all." she asked. I gripped the edge of the sofa, deciding to tell the truth, only twisting it a bit.

"Well, after you left the diner that night, I closed up and everything just like normal. After I left, I began to walk home, but then someone tried to...mug me." Hayley's jaw dropped.

"No way!" she exclaimed. I nodded, and continued.

"Well, just in the nick of time Dean showed up, and he saved me. It was amazing really, he was like a superhero. I was pretty shaken up after the ordeal, so he took me to his place.

We ended up talking for hours, and it was getting late so I stayed over. In the morning I just...couldn't bring myself to leave. It was..." I struggled for the word.

"An immediate connection." She said, smiling widely. "Wow. No, I totally understand, I mean _look _at him. I'd snag him too if I had the chance. And just seeing you together...it's like

you're soul mates!"

My heart fumbled, had Hayley really thought that?

"I have to go now, Hayley, Dean's waiting."

Her face dropped, all excitement gone. "But I want to hear the juicy details! You've been gone for days, I thought you were DEAD for god-sakes!" I nodded, feeling the sting of her

words.

"I'm sorry about that, Hay, I really am! But I really have to go... Dean and I have to meet his brother." I said. The dark cloud hovered over me. _Sam._ _Where was he?  
_

"Brother?" she asked, "Is he as good-looking as Dean?" she asked, very suggestive.

I rolled my eyes for the millionth time that hour. "Aren't you going out with Ronald Martin?" I asked.

"Roger!" she corrected. "And he's...well he hasn't called me since our last date, if you'd even _call _it that."

I frowned. "Why not?" I asked. Hayley's eyes looked around the room, avoiding mine. For a second I saw a ghost of a child in her, her embarrassment was honest and innocent. She let

out a haughty sigh.

"I kissed him alright? He got all nervous and stuff and practically abandoned me in the middle of the street!"

I smiled, completely amused. "Call him, Hayley! He was probably just taken aback by your...aggressiveness." I said. She rolled her eyes.

"He had his chance, now it's time for you to introduce me to this soon to be 'brother in-law' of yours."

Suddenly I felt spooked by the thought of Sam as my brother in law. My bones ached; the facade was wearing on me. The lies were meshing with reality and distorting it, I felt dizzy

from the wine and wasn't quite sure what I was doing. I stood up, my legs tingling, and walked over to the front door, Hayley ran after me.

"Don't elope or anything! You have to make me your bridesmaid! And you _have_ to introduce me to this brother..." I reached the door, taking the doorknob between my fingers and

twisting it firmly. It opened wide, and I turned to Hayley. She stood in front of me, birdlike in her movements. _I wish I didn't have to leave, but Sam could be in trouble...  
_

I opened my arms wide and took Hayley in my arms. I squeezed her tight, trying to remember everything about her. She was warm and soft, everything a girl should be. '_This could be _

_the last time I see her.' _The thought tormented me.

"Of course, Hays! I'm sorry for everything, I'll keep in touch!" I let go of her, and began backing out of the house. "And...break down the news lightly to your parents, okay?"Hayley

nodded, dazed. I could tell she was already beginning to fantasize about meeting Dean's mysterious brother. I stifled a giggle as I imagined the look on her face if she learned that it

was Sam. (The diner guy? NO WAY!) For a moment we shared a knowing look, she knew there was something else, but she also knew I couldn't..._wouldn't_ tell her. I smiled, my gaze

faltering.

"Bye, Ally bear." she said, the brightness in her eyes somewhat diminishing.

I shut the door, leaving behind a confused, excited and overwhelmed _sister. _I could feel my eyes begin to water. _Goodbye._

As I made my way down the concrete walkway I saw Dean's black Impala cloaked in the midnight shadows like a deadly, agile panther. A tingling sensation started in my stomach,

vaguely similar to excitement. As I crossed the street to meet him, a realization hit me. My home wasn't with Hayley anymore, was it? That was my past. Now, _right now_, my home was

with Dean. Even as I thought it, it seemed silly; I had known Dean for only days and Hayley my entire life, yet at the same time these past five days had been more real to me than

anything else.

I let my hand caress the car's sleek hood as I made my way around to the passenger door. A cool breeze sent my hair flying back, filling it with momentary volume. My nose stung; lungs

overwhelmed with the familiar scent of the ocean. My small hand grasped the handle, and I took one last moment to soak in the small two-story house that I had lived in for years. I

closed my eyes, trying to commit it to memory. A feeling of loss began to overwhelm me; I was really leaving all of this behind me, wasn't I?

I opened the car door, the groan of steel waking me from my thoughts. I slid in, relishing in Dean's presence next to me. I looked up at him; he was smiling.

"Fiancé, eh?" he asked, one eyebrow raising curiously.

"It was the first thing that came to mind." I admitted, blushing madly. Dean laughed.

***

_:D I'm really happy by the reviews I'm getting! You guys are so nice, it makes me feel warm inside!_

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